The mother of the schoolgirl who died after riding her bike into a traffic barrier is calling for the bars to be redesigned.

Tiffany Pitcher says that her daughter might still be alive had a different type of barrier been installed at the entrance to Tribe Road No 1 in Southampton, which is for pedestrian use only.

Ms Pitcher’s daughter, Tiffanelle, died earlier this month after riding her bike into the metal barrier. The ten-year-old suffered from head injuries and reportedly died almost immediately.

The Royal Gazette understands that neighbourhood children regularly ride their pedal bikes down the Tribe Road — which is on a steep incline — towards the roadblock. The barrier has a horizontal beam running more than four feet off the ground — high enough for youngsters to duck under as they speed through.

Yesterday Ms Pitcher, from Camp Road in Warwick, said she intends to contact Government in a bid to have the barrier that killed her daughter replaced.

And she also said that lighting at the location needs to be improved. Tiffanelle’s accident happened in the early evening, just as daylight was fading.

“It definitely needs to be replaced or redesigned,” Ms Pitcher said.

“The children would regularly ride their bikes down the hill and then duck under the barrier — I’ve seen them do it and it’s frightening. But if there had been a different barrier in place, such as a turnstile, that might have prevented this from happening.

“I’m thinking about getting in touch with Works & Engineering to see about getting the barrier replaced. I’m thinking about the safety of our children and something needs to be done. If the road isn’t meant for vehicles then it should be surfaced with a gravel that you can’t ride on, or have speed bumps down there. There should also be a sign warning people that a barrier is there at the bottom of the hill.

“And the lighting there also needs to be fixed. At the moment the light operates on a sensor, so it only comes on when someone goes past. There should be permanent lighting along the trail as it gets very dark up there.”

Ms Pitcher said she was still struggling to come to terms with the death of her “princess”, a student at Francis Patton School, whose ambition was to become a singer, dancer or teacher.

“I just can’t cope with anything at the moment,” she said.

“I urge any parents of children who may be riding their bikes underneath the barrier to talk to them. Tell them to think about their actions and to think about the consequences.

“And every time they leave their charge, tell them how much they are loved and give them hugs and kisses.”

The Royal Gazette first contacted the Ministry of Public Works last Monday to ask if it was considering replacing the barrier with a different model. Despite repeated requests for a statement on the issue, no response was received by press time last night.

But Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Scott, said he was waiting for the completion of police investigation into the tragedy “as the circumstances surrounding this death may well engage the Coroners jurisdiction”.

A funeral service for Tiffanelle will be held at the Hamilton Seventh-day Adventist Church on King Street at 1pm tomorrow.