Parents were stopped by police outside a number of Tayside schools on the first day back for inappropriate parking and to issue road safety advice.
As all schoolchildren went back to the classroom on Monday for the first time this year, officers were patrolling outside a number of schools and spoke to parents who were dropping their kids off in the car.
This included Inch View Primary School and St John’s RC Primary School in Perth, North Muir Primary School in Kirriemuir and Arbroath High School.
Police Scotland says officers issued advice on road safety and sensible parking to the parents they spoke to, but added no fines were issued.
Inspector Greg Burns from Police Scotland’s road policing unit, said: “As pupils returned to classrooms across Tayside, road policing officers visited a number of schools in the area to remind parents about road safety and sensible parking.
“There were good levels of positive engagement and no issues raised.”
This comes as Perth and Kinross Council is poised to introduce exclusion zones outside four primary schools after the Easter holidays.
These zones would see cars banned from entering certain streets during the busy pick up and drop off times in a bid to give pedestrians and cyclists more space, and to help support social distancing outside schools.
The zones are earmarked for Muirton Place outside Balhousie Primary School, School Road outside Guildtown Primary School, Craigie Place outside Inch View Primary School, and Allt Mor Crescent outside Kinloch Rannoch Primary School.
A fifth scheme is also planned for Blairgowrie Community Campus, which houses both Newhill Primary School and St Stephen’s RC Primary School, and would affect Smithfield Crescent, McLaren Park and Blackthorn Place.
Parents have also been told of similar plans for Viewlands Primary School, Fairview School and Perth Academy, which could affect eight roads surrounding the campus.
Councillor Angus Forbes, convener of environment and infrastructure at Perth and Kinross Council, said: “I have always been in favour of school exclusion zones.
“Anything that keeps our children safe has to be a good thing and if it encourages parents to walk their children to school, where possible, then that’s an added bonus.
“I’ve seen school exclusion zones in action and the parents I spoke to there really liked them once they got used to the idea.”
Residents living in these exclusion zones will be given permits to make sure they have access at all times, and permits will also be issued to carers, school staff, businesses, and other essential users.
Buses, taxis on school contracts and delivery drivers will not be affected.
