Parents urged to abide by parking rules outside schools in North East Lincolnshire
IT is only luck that a schoolchild in North East Lincolnshire has not been killed outside a school.
That was the claim of a road safety officer who urged parents to abide by parking rules and not park up outside schools – even to drop off their children.
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KEEP US SAFE: A banner has been put up to remind drivers there is a parking ban outside Waltham Leas Infant and Junior Schools. From left, road safety education officer Doug Wright, April Blakey, Jade Haagensen, Evangeline Race, Reece Amis, Tyler Weed, Thomas Whitehouse and junior school headteacher Rob Beel.
Despite double yellow lines and prominent zig-zag lines outside all of the 38 schools in North East Lincolnshire, some parents are continuing to flout the law.
But in the coming weeks, enforcement officers will increase their patrols around schools and will be imposing fines of up to £60 on those breaking the law.
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In the five minutes after the end of school at Waltham Leas Primary Academy yesterday, three cars were parked on zig-zag lines and road safety officer with Balfour Beatty, Doug Wright, urged parents to stop being selfish.
He said: "No parent should ever have to go through the experience of opening their door to police officers telling them their child has been killed in a road collision at school."
He posted warning banners outside four schools in the borough – Signhills Academy, Thrunscoe School, Waltham Leas Primary Academy and Stallingborough Primary School.
He added: "I am trying to prevent it before it happens. There has not been a serious accident outside a school recently, but that is just a matter of luck."
However, he said there was no getting through to some people, claiming one mother picking up her child outside a school in a 4x4 told him: "Give me as many fines as you want. My husband is rich and we will just keep paying the fines."
Paul Cunningham, 41, of Abbey Road, Grimsby, was picking up his children from Waltham Leas.
He said: "We park a distance away and walk to the school. It is all part of the experience. It teaches them road safety and it is good for them to walk."
Humberside Police casualty reduction officer, Pc Barry Gardner, said: "What makes parents think they are so special that it allows them to break the law and get their kid dropped off at school closer than everyone else's child? If they continue to break the law, it will cost them money."
Headteacher of Waltham Leas Primary Academy, Rob Beel said: "The safety of all the children and staff is my paramount concern."
He said a new school crossing patrol will start in High Street, Waltham, soon.
Comments
by grimrich
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 11:33AM
“i always had to walk to school ,when i was a kid , thus i never gianed wait and kept fit for p.e ,its fact that a good walk in the morning keeps you healthy and brain active , more than any breakfast will”
by shadowtek
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 12:42AM
“AS Ive said before the councillors Iain B Colquhoun (Conservative) and
Philip Jackson (Conservative) wont do anything as most of those committing the offences are voters in their ward requarding tollbar school and Leas Primary. So come next election time the resident who got tickets wont vote for them so they get ousted.Put one warden and one police officer near to tollbar every morning for a week and lets see what happens. But I know it wont happen. its ok for a councillor to go off at the council when one person get a ticket nearr the crem. cos it make them look good ( she got away with it ) doing something for a member of the public . But when they have to hit the law breaking voters they wont do a thing
try emailing either of them
iain.colquhoun@nelincs.gov.uk
philip.jackson@nelincs.gov.uk”
by Madasahatter
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:12PM
“EWW01. Thank goodness a few of us have obseved the previously mentioned parking problems and lack of enforcement by this council. I thought it was just me. A few £50 or £70 tickets would soon have an impact, a blitz by NELC & the police for the obstruction cases would work wonders. Like everything else the goalposts keep getting moved regarding what is crime and what isn't.
I may be viewed by some as a 'GRUMPY OLD MAN' so to those persons I hold my hands up and admit it, but there are mittigating circumstances, NELC for one.
Reading the NELC Civil Parking Enforcement Procedures it must have been compiled by Hans Christian Anderson or similar author, in other words it's one hell of a fairytale!”
by EWW01
Monday, September 17 2012, 8:20PM
“Madasahatter - I reinforce your comments. I've commented on this site re this subject a few times. Regular parking of HGVs on the footpath/double yellows particularly on the High Street,Cleethorpes and to some extent St Peters Avenue.All of this within the view of the street CCTV.I've seen HGVs and cars parked on the footpath/double yellow lines in Knoll Street opposite the Council Offices.Truth is the Council Officers just aren't bothered unless they can be bothered if that makes sense.Complaining Council Tax payers are regarded as irrelevant nuisances,me for one have no respect for this Council re its lack of interest in illegal parking.Good at painting the double yellow lines,abysmal at enforcement.”
by Beagleyes
Monday, September 17 2012, 6:18PM
“Could one of the reasons be that wardens haven't been deployed is that Betty Balfour is currently trying to employ six wardens?
Is it no wonder revenue from the warden function is down so much ?”
by Madasahatter
Monday, September 17 2012, 6:02PM
“I find myself agreeing with most of the comments posted. What puzzles me is the comment made by traffic engineer Dave Poucher to the effect that tickets had been issued because the vehicles had been parked on land that was classified as a footpath.
How then Mr Poucher can some people park on pavements, double yellow lines, cycle lanes with apparent impunity? Also throughout the boroughs there is an epidemic of car traders clearly advertising their vehicles and parking them on pavements in residential areas.
Outside of car sales premises vehicles are parked both on footpaths and double yellow lines. Is there a deal somewhere along the line to allow that practice?
I am prepared to ferry Mr Poucher around the said areas at my expense to point out the many offending vehicles. It high time that the double-standards regarding enforcement is sorted out once & for all.
Perhaps an official explanation could be made through the columns of this newspaper!
I hold my breath.”
by shadowtek
Monday, September 17 2012, 2:56AM
“they wont send in the wardens as the councillors will loose votes its as simple as that. that why they wont do a thing”
by TalkingSense9
Monday, September 17 2012, 12:54AM
“Parents who park illegally and so close to the school clearly have a medical condition and should be given some tolerance... A) they must be blind.. Can't see the road markings. B) very stupid. C) very obese or their children.. So can't walk further than a McDonalds queue. D) all of the above.”
by reaper_grim
Sunday, September 16 2012, 9:43AM
“same story year after year after year, it always happens at the start of September 'parents not back into the routine of School', getting up late, arriving late, so parking as close as they can!
I'd say instead of fines, as some can afford to continue to pay endlessly, impose 'community service' type work, i.e. unpaid, as then such would have the shame of doing such or need to take a 'employment holiday' to do it. Say street cleaning by hand?”
by Andi62
Saturday, September 15 2012, 10:14AM
“"Give me as many fines as you want. My husband is rich and we will just keep paying the fines."
Ok Mrs 4x4 would you still be saying that if your child is hurt badly or god forbid killed by a car, I don't think so, grow up and think of the children and not your husbands bank balance.”