ARRIVA is renewing its call for road safety awareness with a fresh push on its Stop and Stay campaign.

The campaign, which launched across Merseyside in 2023, encourages children and young people to stop on the pavement and wait until the bus has moved off before crossing the road, helping to prevent collisions caused by limited visibility.

With the new school year underway, Arriva’s risk team has reviewed all reported incidents across Merseyside involving pedestrians for the 2024/25 academic year.

Just one incident of this nature was reported last year, which shows the success of the award-winning Stop and Stay campaign.

As part of this initiative, Arriva is continuing to support schools with awareness, posters on buses and a digital safety booklet to help teachers reinforce the message.

There’s also a hard-hitting video.

The campaign is part of Arriva’s wider commitment to community safety and responsible travel.

This local picture comes as the UK Government releases its road casualty statistics for last year, which show:

1,602 people were killed on roads across Great Britain.
26% of all fatalities were pedestrians, up 1% from 2023.
20 pedestrian fatalities involved children aged 15 and under.
A further 1,273 children, as pedestrians, were seriously injured.
Matthew Mort, Arriva’s risk manager based in Merseyside, said: “It’s reassuring that our Stop and Stay campaign has been successful, but we never rest on our laurels when it comes to road safety.

“We know that children are often in a rush to get to or from school and may not realise the danger of crossing in front of a bus.

“That’s why our Stop and Stay message is so important.

“It’s a simple action that can save lives.

“We want young people and their parents to keep having conversations about road safety.

“As a community-focussed bus operator, we don’t just get you to and from school; we care passionately about the people we serve and want to make sure everyone is safe.”

Further information and the video is available on our website: Stop and Stay | Arriva Bus UK