Relief and Permanent School Traffic Warden

The Post of School Traffic Warden

Vacancies will be filled on Relief or Permanent Bases.

Instructions & Duties for School Traffic Wardens

1. The white board bearing the word “Stop” is the recognised symbol of authority for all Traffic Wardens, and this board must be carried and the recognised uniform must be worn all the time when the Warden is on duty.
2. The board must be held or carried in the right hand in an upright position and not under the arm or over the shoulder as one would carry a spade. When the Warden is standing on the footpath the faces of the board should be shown as parallel with the footpath. When moving onto the carriageway to stop traffic, when traffic is being held and when the Warden is returning to the footpath to release traffic, faces of the board should be shown as at right angles to footpath so as to be visible to traffic approaching from front and rear.
3. The Warden should take up his/her position on the footpath, or side of the carriageway, so as to be clearly visible to all approaching traffic, having regard to parked vehicles, etc., which might obstruct the view. His/her position should be on the side of the carriageway when the most children are congregated wishing to cross. In the morning or after the lunch-time break period, this will generally be found to be the side further away from the school, while at the commencement of lunch-time break and at termination of school period it will be on the school side.
4. The Warden should marshal all children, desirous of crossing on his/her left hand side, and give them instructions to remain on the footpath until such time as he/she has gone out, taken up his/her position in the centre of the carriageway, and brought all traffic to a standstill. He/she should then call or signal the children to cross, when they should walk across, not run, in front of him/her in an orderly manner. In the initial stages of his/her duties he/she should be very careful to ensure that the children obey these instructions implicitly, as sometimes there is a tendency for the children to follow him/her out on the carriageway before traffic has been stopped.
5. Before attempting to stop traffic, the Warden should consider traffic conditions at his/her point, whether it is of such a sparse nature that he/she can wait for a lull before going out to conduct children across, or if it is of such a nature that he/she will have to make breaks in it. In some areas, it is possible that such lulls will obviate the necessity of much stopping of traffic, due consideration being given to the speed of the approaching traffic, and conditions of road and weather. Sufficient time should always be given by the Warden for traffic to pull up in safety. It is of interest to realise that the vast majority of drivers, if called upon suddenly to stop from various speeds will take distances shown hereunder to do so, under good road and weather conditions, and perhaps, doubled under adverse weather or road conditions.

30 kph - 40 feet

50 kph - 75 feet

60 kph - 120 feet

6. When the Warden has taken up his/her position in the centre of the carriageway, and is clearly visible to all traffic, he/she should ensure that all traffic in his/her immediate vicinity, front and rear has come to a standstill before calling or signalling the children to cross. He/she should then see that the children get safely across from side of the carriageway to the other, before releasing traffic. THE WARDEN MUST NOT MOVE FROM THE ROAD CENTRE UNTIL THE LAST OF THE CHILDREN IS SAFELY ON THE FOOTPATH. To release traffic the Warden should return to the footpath, and under no circumstances, is he/she ever to remain in the centre of the carriageway acting as a pointsman and calling traffic on. He/she will stop traffic by leaving the footpath, with the board, and going to the centre of the road, and release traffic by returning to the footpath. No signals of any kind should be given to traffic by him/her.
7. The Warden should never break up organised convoys, wedding, funerals, parades, or hold up fire appliances or ambulances for the purpose of allowing children to cross but wait for suitable opportunities when they have passed.
8. If the Warden has any trouble in controlling, or encounter disobedience by the children, they should inform the Principal of the school concerned. Any disobedience by traffic in general should be reported forthwith to the Gardai. In the case of motor vehicles, the description, registration number and sex of person driving, together with time and place of the occurrence, should be noted for the information of the Gardai. Frivolous complaints should, however, be avoided.