Independent Member for Port Macquarie, Peter Besseling, says Labor's fast-tracking of flashing lights for 124 schools smacks of city-centric pork barrelling in the lead-up to the state election.

"Less than 10 per cent of the 124 schools on the list are in regional areas," Mr Besseling said. "Remarkably, most of the remaining 90 per cent are destined for schools in Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter.

"Flashing light funding decisions should be made in the best interests of children's safety, not used by the major parties as some political 'street sweeper', a vehicle for collecting votes.

"The school zone alert system, which was introduced in 2002, is a proven road safety initiative, but nine years on, just half of one per cent of the state's 10,000 schools have the lights installed," Mr Besseling said.

"The capacity for parents to safely deliver their children to school must take precedence over any funding decisions made before or after the upcoming state election, and should be prioritised according to the inherent danger of each crossing, regardless of where the school is located."