Clean air bid Cars banned outside schools in pilot scheme
CARS will be banned outside two Bristol schools during drop-off and pick-up times from later this month.
The ‘School Streets’ scheme was among a number of initiatives announced by Bristol mayor Marvin Rees on Clean Air Day last year in a bid to improve air quality across the city.
At the time Mr Rees said the council would work with schools, parents and pupils to temporarily close roads to cars outside schools “everywhere it’s possible”.
School communities across the city were invited to trial the initiative and Wansdyke Primary School in Hartcliffe and St Peter’s C of E Primary School in Bishopsworth were chosen.
Pilot schemes outside both schools will start on Monday, February 24 – the first day back after the half term.
The scheme will be in place for 18 months when it will be reviewed, and if deemed successful, it may become permanent.
It will see the streets the schools are located on temporarily become a ‘School Street zone’ for pedestrians and cyclists at the beginning and end of the school day.
Vehicles will not be allowed to enter the street between these times unless they have been granted an exemption.
Exemptions will be granted to
Wansdyke Primary School is one of the schools invloved residents and businesses living or working within the zone so they can still move freely. Special exemptions will also be granted to blue badge holders.
In relation to Wansdyke Primary School, vehicles would be prohibited from driving within School Close for 45 minutes in morning and 45 minutes in the afternoon.
For St Peter’s C of E School, vehicles will be banned from entering Ellfield Close, for the same amount of time.
The exact times the ban will come into force has yet to be announced.
Bristol City Council has said the aims of the scheme is to tackle congestion, unsafe parking and air pollution at the school gates and to make it safer and easier to walk, scoot and cycle to school.
Any vehicles caught entering the zone without an exemption permit could be issued with a fine.
The public will be able to comment or object to the scheme during the first six months of the trial. To find out more go to the TravelWest website, travelwest.info.