To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail any additional support he can put in place to improve road safety for pupils and staff at St. Bride's Primary School, South Belfast.

I recognise the importance of traffic calming and road safety measures and am committed to exploring solutions that deliver better for communities and improve lives across the North.

I can advise that standard school warning signs are in place on Derryvolgie Avenue and school flashing signs have previously been provided on the Malone Road on both approaches to Derryvolgie Avenue and on Windsor Avenue as part of a Safer Routes to School initiative.

Both Derryvolgie Avenue and Windsor Avenue have also been assessed for proposed traffic calming measures. Whilst the proposals for Windsor Avenue have not been assessed as sufficiently high to progress at this stage, I am pleased to advise that the Department is progressing plans for a traffic calming scheme along Derryvolgie Avenue, in the vicinity of St Bride’s Primary School, Belfast. Officials have recently carried out a consultation on these proposals and an objection to the scheme has been raised. Following appropriate consideration of this objection, it is planned that a decision on the proposals will be made in the coming months.

One of the best ways to ensure safety on our roads and fulfil our long-term goal of eliminating death and serious injury by 2050, is by changing road user behaviour. As road users we all have a personal responsibility to behave in a way that keeps ourselves and others safe. The sad reality is that if we do not change our own attitudes when we are using the roads, our death toll will continue to increase.