People who drive their children to school and "School Streets"

[Needmorelego]

Good Morning All.
I am after some honest answers about "School Streets" and driving to school.
The scheme closes roads outside schools at drop off/pick up times so people can't drive down the road and/or park there. This is supposed to encourage less cars outside schools.
Now - honest answers - if you drive your children and your school has one of these schemes have you actually stopped driving or have you just taken to parking somewhere else (like the next road over).
Thanks.
(not a journalist - it's just this scheme is being introduced where I live and it's going to be a pain in the arse for residents for various reasons)

We have this scheme at the school my children go to. There are two entrances to the school but only one is covered by this scheme so all it has done is push more traffic to the entrance that the scheme doesn't cover. From what I've seen a lot of parents just ignore it as it isn't policed in any way (the school has the responsibility for this) so it's a total waste of time.
From a residents point of view I can't see you having a problem with taxis or deliveries as I'm pretty sure they're exempt from the rules

My old primary school was one of four schools in the same road, now one of six. A large county-council-owned building with acres of green space was closed in the street and had been protected with a variety of covenants.
If MPs, county councillors, town councillors, police, hospitals or paramedics cared about child safety, drop-off and pick-up facilities could have easily been built with staggered start and finish times organised.
However, that would have reduced the developer's eye-watering profits so played no part in any public agency thinking, the canceling of covenants or improvements in public safety.

@Needmorelego that's terrible. Can you get in touch with your local councillor and explain your specific situation?

I would have thought they would have to at least be seen to be helping a SEN child get to school!

The (private) school DC went to managed to create a "drive-thru" drop off, across the back of the school from one side street to another. One way, staff on hand to shoo the kids out of the car and into the school. School ends at different times for different year groups/after school clubs, so the same is possible at the end of the day. The school is on a main road in central London and the changes had a big part to play in reducing the traffic congestion in the area.

@Stowickthevast the thing with deliveries - you generally can't request a specific time just a slot.
The supermarket I use has 2 hour time slots. The restricted times come right in the middle of 2 of the slots. So actually 4 hours of potential delivery time is gone. This is an area with many elderly residents who physically cannot get to supermarkets so do home delivery.

Never underestimate people's belief in their human right to drive wherever they want, no matter how small the distance.

That's a generic observation by the way, not particularly aimed at people on this thread.

Edited for faulty autocorrect

No I haven’t stopped driving. We live too far from the children’s school so we have to drive.

@Stowickthevast oh I am on it with contacting the council etc 🙂
That was kind of the point of this post - to gather information about whether it actually stops the drivers driving.
I don't think it will. They are just going to drive to the next street over and park there (which many already do).

For you and your immediate neighbours, but you can guarantee there is more hassle a few streets away so its just moved the problem.

It's definitely stopping them here because the council is going further and further out with the controlled parking zones.

This puts the residents in the surrounding roads in awkward position.

On the one hand they're glad school parents have stopped clogging up their streets, but on the other hand it now means they have to have permits for themselves and any visitors to park outside their own homes.

I don’t have a choice because of distance and needing to go on to work so would have to park where I can

I can drop off my child off at school and walk home in less than 5 mins. There’s a woman about 6 doors down that drives her child to school everyday (in a 4x4!). One day she walked her school child and toddler to school the same time as us. She had absolutely no control over the child who kept running ahead whilst she was just shouting at him to stop. So I can see why she finds it easier to drive. I often see her mother walking them to school no problem though, so they are definitely playing up for the mum.

We have this at our school and its great. I guess those who drive probably still do as I think mostly it is out of necessity. However it has made drop off and pick up 100x safer. There used to be a lot of road rage outside the school and numerous occasions trying to get dc home I had to move them out the way of someone suddenly driving on the pavement, including buses. Now it’s really quiet and relaxed. And I actually live in a cul de sac by the school so we expected the parking to move here, but if anything it is quieter! So maybe more are walking?

Around here and at my kids' last school we had these. They stop people driving up that street and parking but for anyone who lives on the street and needs to get in or out, or any deliveries/taxis etc that need access, the people managing the barriers just let them through. You may find it's a non-issue for the scenarios you're concerned about OP.

If I'm understanding correctly, you live on a street where a school street is being introduced, but your daughter goes to a different school by taxi as she has SEN?

It's good that there will be a six month trial as that means the council will be able to see if there are issues and can come up with ideas to resolve them. For example, district nurses and visiting NHS carers could have exemptions. If it's ANPR controlled, that's easy to do. Delivery companies don't pass on the cost of parking tickets to customers, so they'll either come outside of those times, or just suck it up.

Is the proposal for a complete traffic ban on the street during those times, or just no through route? If the latter, your taxi will have to enter and exit the street at the same end, rather than driving all the way down. Honestly, I suspect you'll find it's a lot less of a problem than you originally feared once it's in place, it'll just take a little getting used to.

They're introducing school streets near me, it'll be for three cul-de-sacs with pathways leading to the school. These streets are already safer as you don't need to cross the road to get to the school. The parking will be pushed into the three busier roads surrounding the school, these are already unsafe due to poor parking and driving. It's going to be absolute chaos when the scheme starts after Easter. It's an accident waiting to happen. It seems like they've put the scheme in place to tick a box without actually thinking it through

This is a primary school, at full capacity there are 900+ children. It's at the end of a cul-de-sac. Children come from miles away as you can pretty much live anywhere due to the size of the school. Those that drive will probably still need to drive.

I would still have to drive my dc as I have mobility issues and can't walk without pain. Are there allowances going to be made for those with a blue badge?
I need to park as close a I can as I have to pace myself and if I overdo things in one area, it means I don't have reserves to carry on as the day progresses.

@ConflictedCheetah it's going to be cameras rather than barriers.
Barriers would be better tbh because I could let the barrier controllers know our taxi is coming.
I might suggest that to the council.

@MotherWol yes it's a primary school and my daughter is secondary.
There are 2 school buses that pick up other children for their (different) SEN schools so the buses will be exempt but we get Uber. There is also a little boy at the primary school who is dropped off by car as he is a wheelchair user - I hope his parents get an exemption.

My main question about the scheme isn't whether it's good or bad but more if it actually DOES stop those who drive from driving.

I wouldn't have thought so as most drive for good reasons - only a small minority not doing so IME. Plus scheme might be less to do with driving and more with safety around the school where there will be many young pedestrians.

I would double check with the council about deliveries and pickup from Taxi and to and from SEN school - and if elderly population carers and possible district nurses.

Googles tell me Merton council has:
A school safety zone day pass exemption permit allows a vehicle to access a school street to visit your home during the restricted hours. It can only be used for taxis, medical reasons, tradespeople, or grocery deliveries.

https://www.merton.gov.uk/streets-parking-transport/school-safety-zones/school-street#:~:text=A%20school%20safety%20zone%20day,home%20during%20the%20restricted%20hours.&text=It%20can%20only%20be%20used,%2C%20tradespeople%2C%20or%20grocery%20deliveries.

Though they are very limited to 4 cars per household per year. Maybe there is something similar in you planned area?

Most people are driving because they have to. Our school tried this scheme, but couldn’t maintain it due to lack of volunteers. I don’t have a local school. It’s a five mile drive to one and a three mile drive down an A road to another. I have no choice but to drive. So for me this would mean I’d still have to drive but just park elsewhere.

More local parents are either driving because they are late, or dropping off enroute to work etc

@MotherWol the taxi usually drives down from the main road, we get in and it turns around and goes back out the same way. So it might work.
These are all very good things to think about for when feedback is sent.

But as we keep telling you it's not about stopping people driving, it's about safety outside the school.snd reducing polling.

And residents are not inconvenienced, they are still allowed to exit and enter the school street you just need to give the council your registration and your vehicle will be exempt and where we live you can get permits for tradespeople etc visiting your home.

@RhubarbGingerJam that's good information from Merton - I can use that too.
Thanks 🙂

I drive everyday because my DS’s primary school is 6 miles away with no public transport. Parking restrictions wouldn’t stop me driving as I have no choice.

The problem is where we are there are no local school places for local children. The catchment areas don’t seem to work. When we moved to the area the school my children went to / go to was the closest available at the time. My DD left primary a few years ago. I know of at least 2 families who drive their children in the opposite direction to me to take their children to our local school. It makes no sense!

I park in the local village hall car park and walk but some parents park right opposite the school and block the drives of the houses opposite. It make it dangerous for the children as they have to cross between cars. The scheme would work well for safety right outside the school but would push parking further out. We don’t have any parking schemes just many emails from the school asking parents to be more considerate. Oh and if it’s raining it’s crazy!