Opposition Leader Launches Campaign to Address Critical Traffic Warden Shortages
Western Australia's Opposition leader Basil Zempilas has launched a new campaign targeting what he describes as a dangerous shortage of traffic wardens at school crossings across the state. The initiative comes amid growing concerns that dozens of critical crossing points remain unattended, putting children at significant risk during peak school hours.
'Crosssafe' Initiative to Survey Schools and Communities
Mr Zempilas this week launched the "Crosssafe" campaign, specifically examining the warden shortage affecting the western suburbs. The program will survey local schools and communities to understand why shortages are occurring and what systemic changes might address the problem effectively.
"All of these crossings are getting busier, and therefore, more dangerous," Mr Zempilas stated. "It was clear many of the crossings didn't have consistent crossing guards, or in some cases, none at all."
The Opposition leader noted he had personally visited multiple crossings and witnessed concerning conditions firsthand. "Often the median strip in the middle is very narrow, and the kids will cross halfway, then they're stuck in the middle of a very busy road," he explained. "At that point you only need one kid to push another one accidentally, or a bag to bump into someone, for a kid to be seriously injured."
Current System Under Pressure Across Western Australia
Western Australia currently maintains more than 600 children's crossings staffed by traffic wardens, requiring approximately 750 wardens to fill all positions adequately. WA Police confirmed they are actively recruiting 77 additional people to fulfil crossing roles statewide, but acknowledged ongoing challenges.
A police spokesperson stated: "Occasions do occur where traffic wardens are not available to operate a children's crossing and whenever possible the affected school is advised by the children's crossings unit that the crossing will not be staffed."
In the western suburbs specifically, eight of ten designated school crossings fall within the Churchlands electorate. Both Hale School and Wembley Downs Primary School currently lack designated traffic wardens, a situation Mr Zempilas described as increasingly dangerous given growing traffic volumes.
Wardens Describe Daily Dangers and Recruitment Challenges
Traffic warden Lindsay Snashall, who has served at the Pearson Street crossing for six years, provided stark insight into daily dangers. "I experience near misses on a daily basis," the 84-year-old revealed. "I get a lot of cars that don't even see me, and they don't even slow down despite the 40km/h limit. They carry on at 70-80km/h."
Mr Snashall expressed concern about children crossing unsupervised during peak hours, noting: "It's really bad, because the drivers don't respect the children at all. All they think about is just getting to work as fast as they can."
The veteran warden identified recruitment challenges stemming from inflexible job requirements. "I've talked to a few people about becoming a warden, but a lot of people can't dedicate to it full-time," he said. "I believe if they made the job part-time, they would easily get 100 more people to join."
Current requirements mandate wardens be available for both morning and afternoon school shifts daily, totaling approximately ten hours weekly. Mr Zempilas suggested greater flexibility could significantly improve recruitment. "The demographic of wardens are typically the more senior West Australians, often retired," he observed. "That cohort are looking for more flexibility. They want to be able to help the community but they also want the ability to take an afternoon off every now and then."
Government Initiatives and Infrastructure Investments
The Cook Government committed $17.7 million during the 2025 State Election to deliver 23 new signalised pedestrian crossings statewide, including 19 replacements for warden crossings. A government spokesperson explained: "The installation of signalised crossings at key locations around WA will enhance safety for students and pedestrians when crossing busy roads and will also free up more school traffic wardens to be redeployed to other schools."
This includes $700,000 allocated for a signalised pedestrian crossing on Pearson Street serving Churchlands Primary School, though construction timing remains unconfirmed.
Additionally, the State Government announced in August the introduction of new speed zones at all 143 Children's Crossings located outside existing School Zones or 40km/h areas. These changes form part of a $10 million program announced in 2024 to improve safety at warden-controlled crossings.
Since August, electronic signage has been installed at 16 crossings with 26 more planned by June 2026.
Police Enforcement and Broader Safety Measures
WA Police announced on Monday that officers would increase presence around school crossings throughout 2026 to target dangerous driving behaviours. The statewide operation will focus particularly on the first week of each term when traffic volumes peak.
Superintendent Glenn Spencer from road policing command stated: "Keeping children safe on their way to and from school is a responsibility every driver shares. Our officers will be out in numbers as students return, and motorists can expect to see highly visible patrols around school crossings right across the State."
Enforcement will involve marked vehicles, motorcycles, and speed cameras monitoring school zones.
Building a Comprehensive Statewide Solution
Mr Zempilas emphasized that the Crosssafe survey aims to create a detailed snapshot of warden shortages across the Churchlands electorate while developing broader statewide applications. "We know the anecdotes, the information, the stories, the near misses, the local knowledge that we collect here will be applicable in lots of areas around Perth," he said. "We want to assess what's working, what's not working, and how it would apply in other areas."
The Opposition leader concluded that finding systemic solutions allowing greater flexibility could expand the warden pool significantly. "I think finding a system that can allow greater flexibility and a bigger pool of people to be involved, so that some of these now pretty dangerous crossings can have the security of a qualified traffic warden is important."
