Day: March 14, 2019

Parents and carers are urged by Brighton & Hove City Council to reduce the number of school journeys made by car to improve safety and air quality outside the city’s schools.

MANY schools in the city often experience illegal, dangerous driving and parking near their gates. This creates a congested and unpleasant environment, increasing levels of air pollution and at times making it unsafe for families to cross roads.

By reducing car trips, the school journey can provide an opportunity for the whole family to be more active and help improve air quality. Those who have to drive can still help greatly by making sure they park or drop off away from the school gate, in a legal, safe and considerate way.

The council is responsible for the enforcement of on-street parking restrictions. Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) patrol areas where illegal and dangerous parking is a potential threat to child safety. Penalty Charge Notices can be issued by CEOs and Fixed Penalty Notices by the police if a vehicle is parked illegally.

The police have a duty to enforce other traffic offences, which can result in penalty points being issued on your driving licence. These include dangerous parking, causing obstruction and parking on pedestrian crossings, including the area marked by the zig-zag lines.

Examples of parking contraventions include:

• parking in residents or disabled parking bays unless you are entitled to do so and can display a valid badge
• waiting or parking on School Keep Clear zig-zag lines and controlled pedestrian crossings
• waiting or parking on single yellow lines during times of operation or double yellow lines at any time
• failing to pay and display a valid parking ticket where there is a parking charge
• stopping or parking in taxi ranks or on cycle lanes during their period of operation
• double parking obstructing pedestrian or vehicle access points where there are dropped kerbs
• stopping on a bus stop

Councillor Gill Mitchell, Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee said: “It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure safety outside schools. We’re urging parents and carers to consider alternative ways of travelling to school and reduce the number of journeys made by car. 

“This will help improve safety outside schools, reduce congestion in the surrounding area and encourage children to be more active.”