If you need to drive your child to school
For the safety of your child, their friends, and the local community you have a responsibility to park safely, legally and considerately. This means not parking on single or double yellow lines; notdouble parking; not stopping or dropping off on the School Keep Clear yellow zigzags or pedestrian crossing white zigzag lines; not parking on corners or junctions near the school entrance; not blocking driveways.
What can I do instead?
Try ‘Park and Stride’
Park away from the school entrance and walk the last 5 or 10 minutes. Walking half a mile only takes between 8 and 17 minutes. How many calories you burn depends on how fast you walk!
Try a ‘Walking Bus’
Organise a small group of parents to share the walk to school and take it in turns with other parents to do the school-run. You could even combine this idea with Park and Stride.
Walking to school contributes to the recommended daily physical activity for you and your children. It also helps to reduce congestion around the school and improve air quality, providing benefits for everyone.
Try car sharing
If you have to drive to school, why not get together with other parents who need to go by car and car-share?
You could start by doing any of these just once or twice a week.
Child Seatbelts, Child Car Seats, and the Law
If you are driving your child and others to school, it is important that you understand the law on child seatbelts. You can get more information online or phone 01273 292258
Anti-social parking and parking enforcement
Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) patrol areas where illegal and dangerous parking is a potential threat to child safety. Also, they can now issue ‘Postal’ Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for illegal stopping/parking, including for stopping on School Keep Clears.
The CEO takes photos of the illegally stopped vehicle, and the owner will receive a PCN in the post. To report parking problems outside your school you can phone Parking Enforcement at 03456 035 469. You can also report anti-social driving online.
School Keep Clears
School Keep Clear yellow zigzag markings are located outside many schools in the city. They are there for safety – to ensure clear sight lines for both motorists and children, as well as other road users, outside schools. They create a clear area to cross more safely. There is a ‘No Stopping’ order placed on the zigzags, enforceable at most schools from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except August.
If you stop or park on the markings during these times, you are liable to receive a PCN of £70.
You can view more information and ideas to help prevent anti-social parking on our website.