First day of new parking rules hailed a success
THE first day of tough new school parking rules in Derby has been hailed a success despite continued concerns about how the project will work in the long term.
Part of Redwood Road was closed on Monday between 8.15am and 9am and 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
The temporary road closures are designed to allow children and parents to get to and from Redwood Primary School more safely and therefore start a crackdown on school parking problems.
Redwood Road was the first road to be used as part of Derby City Council’s School Safe Haven project.
More road closures near a number of other Derby schools are set to follow suit, however, no official starting dates have yet been announced.
Anyone caught breaching the restriction is at risk of a fine of up to £100. The council is initially warning people as the project is new but repeat offenders could be fined.
Instead of using the Redwood
Road as a drop-off point, parents using cars were encouraged by council staff to use the Sinfin Moor Park car park between the closure times. At one stage the car park was packed.
Pupils were encouraged to “bling” their bikes in celebration of the project’s opening day and the closure space allowed youngsters to enjoy riding their bikes without the worry of cars coming close by.
Councillor Nadine Peatfield, who has long been calling for action, said: “It’s been brilliant and gone better than I could have ever hoped it would have gone.
“We’ve seen lots of children walking and out on their bikes.
It’s been pretty calm in terms of tempers – there was the odd person who wasn’t sure what was happening – but on the whole it’s been really good.”
Redwood Primary School headteacher Lindsey Shepherd welcomed the closure, saying: “This can’t come soon enough. I’ve been here a long time and school parking has been a regular problem.”
However, not everyone was convinced about its success.
One parent told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the new restriction was a bad idea.
The man, who did not wish to be named, said: “I think they’ve made it worse. There’s no way you can get two cars around the corner of the car park. You are just moving the problem elsewhere and not dealing with the issue. You need to punish the bad drivers effectively who are doing it, not the whole community.
“My wife was terrified coming here this morning because she didn’t know what to expect.”
Councillor Peatfield has previously raised concern on how the enforcement will be handled once the council officers and barriers disappear following the introductory stages.
“Another big concern is after the introduction when all the officers have gone and there is no follow-up enforcement, then things may just return to normal,” she said.
A Derby City Council spokesperson said: “Consideration will be given to the use of camera technology if compliance levels require.
“The new restriction is being introduced as a trial basis first. Public consultation will be ongoing and all valid objections will be considered before any decision is made to either retain, modify or remove the restriction.”