Lazy school run parents are blocking our street even when there’s a free carpark 2 mins away – but we’re getting revenge
RESIDENTS have told how lazy parents on the school run are blocking their streets even though there’s a free car park two minutes away.
Motors are stacked up daily on a cul-de-sac leading up to Quay Academy in Bridlington, East Yorks – causing traffic chaos and leading to aggressive confrontations with fed-up locals.
But now residents have gotten revenge – as parents have been told they will be hit with hefty £130 parking fines if they break the new rules.
Teachers are tasked with looking out for drivers – and other parents have been told to snitch if they see any rule-breakers.
The pilot scheme, also introduced at another school in Hull, has divided opinions.
Many agree that any attempt to improve pupil safety is welcome – but a minority said parents were being penalised.
One mum, who asked not to be named, admitted she drove to the school gates and shunned the nearby free car park.
She confessed: “There’s a car park around the back. But to be honest I can be lazy sometimes.
“My husband and I have driven down here for 10 years and to be honest, I don’t think it’s that bad.
“There are certain drivers who are horrendous but also a lot of the kids walk in the road, or cycle without helmets. It’s not just drivers.
“We will stick to the rules but I’m in two minds about it.”
Mum-of-two Natasha Feasby, 23, welcomed the fines.
She said: “There is an allocated car park for the school in Moorfield car park.
‘It’s literally across the road. That’s always been there but it’s not been enough for some parents. Two minutes’ walk is too much for them.
“It’s just been horrific down here. There were cars piled all the way down the narrow cul-de-sac. It’s a really tight three point turn to get out – it’s only by good luck that a kid hasn’t been hit.”
Despite the new system, which sees residents handed free parking permits, some parents are already said to have ignored the rules.
Oxford Street resident Jane Tindale, 53, revealed she counted five cars in a single morning driving up to the school gates.
She said: “When it’s manned it works, but when it’s not, it doesn’t.
“On Monday I saw five cars come down here because there was no-one monitoring.”
Kirsty Blackburn, 42, added: “Teachers come out in the morning and they come out at 3pm to monitor it.
“They are trying to get parents help out too. The school then tells the council, who administer the fines.
“But when it’s not being monitored, some parents will still try their luck if they can.
“I know somebody this morning reported five people for driving down here.”
Quay Academy parent Kelly Heaps, 35, said: “Before the scheme there were just cars all the way down the street. It was properly rammed and really dangerous.
“A lot of them tried to reverse in between cars and it was just a nightmare.
“There’s a free car park around the corner. They’re just lazy people, that’s all it is.”
Oxford Street resident Laura Bowtell, 35, who has a child at the school, added: “We had mixed thoughts about it at first but it has helped.
“Most people are staying away because they know they will get a fine.
“At the end of the day, there’s free parking around the corner and they weren’t using it. It’s bizarre that they wanted to park on this street, which meant local residents didn’t get a look-in.”
Karen Chapman, vice-principal at Quay Academy, Bridlington, said: “The streets leading up to our school gates get congested on a daily basis. Cars often perform turns in the narrow road, which pose a danger to pupils and parents.
“On occasions, cars have been blocked in and abandoned in the middle of the street during dropping off and pick-up times, which is an inconvenience for the local residents. We really hope that the hard work from East Riding Council, Humberside Police, our school and our local volunteers will deter cars from travelling on the roads leading up to our school gates.
“If the initiative is a success, our streets will become safer and greener for our local residents and school community.”
A spokesman for East Riding Council said: “This is a legal traffic restriction. If drivers don’t adhere to the restriction during the relevant times, it is the sole responsibility of Humberside Police to decide on the appropriate enforcement action.
“In general, there is a period following its launch of reminding drivers of the scheme and issuing advice and guidance. Action from Humberside Police may initially be the issue of a formal warning letter to the registered keeper of the vehicle, followed by a Fixed Penalty Notice if further breaches are made.”