A primary school’s pupils have taken their first steps along a new zebra crossing built thanks to people power.

%image(14883489, type="article-full", alt="Before the new crossing was put in, the insurance firm, ETA, supplied a pop up zebra which allowed the community to trial the crossing and strengthen their case for change. Picture: THAMES VIEW INFANTS/CLAIRE SMITH")

Children from Thames View Infants in Barking joined neighbours from the Thames View estate in welcoming the new crossing in Bastaple Avenue last week.

Deputy headteacher, Claire Smith, said: “We had a brilliant afternoon at the zebra crossing. We completed a traffic and pedestrian survey.

“It showed us what a busy road Bastable Avenue is so having a safe places to cross is integral to our children and their families staying safe as they make their way around their area.”

The crossing is part of a £450,000 investment targeted at River Road, Thames Road and Bastable Avenue from the council’s local implementation plan pot of funding.

%image(14883488, type="article-full", alt="Thames View Infants deputy headteacher, Claire Smith, said: We had a brilliant afternoon at the zebra crossing. We completed a traffic and pedestrian survey which showed us what a busy road Bastable Avenue is." Picture: THAMES VIEW INFANTS/CLAIRE SMITH")

As well as the zebra crossing, works include cleaning, maintaining, and improving routes to Creek Park and businesses in River Road.

It also adds to improved routes between Thames View and Barking Riverside, with new pedestrian crossing points, traffic calming measures and wider pavements in Thames Road.

The zebra crossing comes after the community pleaded for increased safety measures during a public consultation carried out by the charities, Living Streets and Sustrans, for Barking and Dagenham Council’s regeneration firm, Be First.

Nick Davies, principal transport officer at Be First, said: “This crossing is part of our Vision Zero project to reduce road accidents in the borough.”

Richard Lambert, London manager at Living Streets, added: “This year marks Living Streets’ 90th anniversary.

“In our early days we were responsible for introducing the first marked pedestrian crossings so we’re always thrilled to see local authorities continue to take strides to improve road safety.

“The people who use the streets every day are the best people to listen to when it comes to finding out how they can be made better. It’s great to see a request from this community for safer streets being answered.”

Before the new crossing was put in, the insurance firm, ETA, supplied a ‘pop up’ zebra which allowed the community to trial the crossing and strengthen their case for change.

Simon Wasser from Sustrans said: “We are delighted to see this new crossing after working closely with the community.”