The local primary school is among the first to receive flashing lights on its school zone signs as part of the State Government’s $13 million election commitment to fast-track installation.

Kelso Public principal Lance Cooper yesterday welcomed the initiative, saying flashing lights would be an effective tool in ensuring students arrived and departed the school grounds safely.

“Our curriculum teaches kids about road safety. We can give them as much knowledge as we can but it’s tools like this that support them,” Mr Cooper said.

“That these lights will further raise driver awareness of our school zone is wonderful because it’s not just the kids we worry about, it’s also the drivers.

“Morning and afternoon traffic through here is crazy. Gilmour Street is a main road and we have a lot of trucks and buses go past.”

The pair of solar-powered signs will operate automatically on school days between 8am and 9.30am and 2.30pm and 4pm in an effort to increase driver awareness of school zones.

They will be used in conjunction with marked foot crossings, dragon’s teeth markings, traffic lights and pedestrian refuges to increase road safety around the school.

Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said the government had succeeded in keeping its election promise to implement the initiative before the end of the year.

“We saw a need in the Kelso area,” Mr Toole said.

“Flashing lights slow motorists down around schools and warn them they are approaching a school.”

The lights use LED technology which provides brighter light and is more energy efficient.

They are linked to a central computer system which operates flashing lights across the state.