Drivers are reportedly caught off guard when they park their cars on “school streets”, with some even facing a £130 fine from the council.
A School Street is a road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times. The restriction applies to school traffic and through traffic.
School Street schemes offer a proactive solution for school communities to tackle air pollution, poor health and road danger reduction. The initiative imposes temporary restrictions on roads outside schools to stop motorists from driving on them at school drop-off and pick-up times.
Originating from Italy in the late 1980s, the scheme was first implemented in Scotland by the East Lothian Council in 2014 and later followed by the City of Edinburgh in 2015.
In 2017, the London Borough of Camden introduced the plan, and 350 school streets are now in place across the capital.
With each passing year, the initiative is being rolled out by councils across the UK, including in Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds, York, Brighton, Reading and – this month – Stoke-on-Trent.
In 2022, nearly 400,000 London motorists were fined £130 for violating restrictions after enforcement cameras captured them—often unknowingly—entering school streets during restricted hours. The fine was reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days, reports The Telegraph.
Some schools are even gradually trying to implement it. For instance, when a new school street was implemented last February outside Burnt Oak Primary School in Gillingham, Kent, the council allowed a six-month grace period during which first-time offenders received a warning letter instead of a fine.
In March, 1,836 warning letters were issued. By June, the number had dropped to 1,339, and in the first three weeks of July, only 824 warnings were sent.
On the other hand, despite the obvious dangers and disorder caused by traffic near schools, Essex County Council has resisted implementing a “school street” policy.
A spokesperson for Essex County Council told The Telegraph: “Since 2022, we have consulted with residents, schools and parents to make Sawyers Hall Lane safer, greener and healthier for those walking and cycling to school.
“Measures have included extended footways, pencil-shaped bollards, a zebra-crossing refresh, 20mph signage, cutting vegetation, tactile crossing points, a raised table, pedestrian guard railing and alternative parking options.”