School traffic exclusion zones have been introduced across a number of streets in Angus, Perth and Kinross and Dundee.
Sometimes known as Safer School Streets, the schemes involve certain streets around schools being closed to traffic each morning and afternoon at school opening and closing times.
They were introduced to make the walk to school safer and cut traffic congestion, but do they work?
With more coming into force this week, we asked parents from schools involved and residents in exclusion zones in Perth and Kinross, Angus and Dundee what they think.
Perth and Kinross
Inch View Primary
Annabel Bromley, who is a member of Inch View Parent Council, believes the school traffic exclusion zone has made no difference to the daily traffic problems outside Inch View Primary.
She said: “I have noticed when I drop my kids off at the school there are regularly parents doing dangerous things like dropping children off on double yellow lines, parking in disabled bays and at bus stops.
“Parents/carers also enter school grounds when only staff cars are permitted on site.
“But then what else are we meant to do as parents? We have to drop our kids off, so there is no obvious solution to this.”
She said there are also two pedestrian crossings within the school grounds, but there are so many cars stopping illegally or entering the school grounds that someone could easily be knocked over.
“It is an accident waiting to happen.”
Annabel spoke to a local councillor who arranged for a council transportation officer to visit and see what was happening but says they were told it was a problem for the education department not the roads department.
She added: “I don’t think the exclusion zone has made any difference to the traffic problems which happen every day outside school.”
Anna Karwat, whose 10-year-old daughter also attends Inch View Primary, said there is nowhere close by she can drop her child off near the school.
She said: “I have had to speak to one of the owners of a house in a street near the school to ask if I can park in their driveway, just briefly, so I can drop off my daughter and pick her up.
It has always been a problem but now it is even worse since the exclusion zone has been introduced.”
Parent Anna Karwat, whose daughter attends Inch View Primary
“There is no area or spaces to park your car near the school – every space has been taken.
“It has always been a problem but it is even worse since the exclusion zone has been introduced.”
Viewlands Primary and Perth Academy
Meanwhile, a resident in Oakbank Road, Perth, said school exclusion zones at Viewlands Primary and Perth Academy have had a negative impact.
He said: “Drivers are actually fighting to see who can park closest to the road end, to get nearer the school.
It is a nightmare – they have put in exclusion zones near the schools but moved the problem out to the next set of roads.”
Oakbank Road resident
“Some of them are there at 2.45pm for the school getting out at 3.15pm, parking right from the junction at Oakbank Road leading onto Oakbank Place – cars parked on both sides of the street.
“It is a struggle to get your car out, particularly in the afternoons when children are leaving the schools.
“They have put in exclusion zones near the schools but moved the problem out to the next set of roads.”
Angus
Letham Primary School
Letham residents are furious about incoming rules designed to cut traffic congestion at the nearby primary school.
They claim bosses have pushed through the school exclusion zone order – which prevents drivers using Braehead Road for a total of five hours a day – without proper consultation.
Paul Ainley is leading a group of local residents who are opposing the changes.
As a result, Angus Council chiefs have currently put a no traffic exclusion zone in Letham on pause.
It is believed transport chiefs are now looking at a compromise including a 45-minute spell in the afternoon with an hour long no-drive zone in the afternoon.
Paul said: “Residents support the idea of safe travel to and from school for kids.
“In line with other exclusion zones in Angus we would be prepared to accept a reasonable time when traffic should be excluded.”
Langlands Primary
Meanwhile, one Langlands Primary School parent told us the exclusion zone at the Forfar school has not provided any benefit.
He said: “The exclusion zone doesn’t work and never has worked since it was first implemented as it is on a street not used by traffic to enter and exit the school.
The exclusion zone doesn’t work and never has worked since it was first implemented as it is on a street not used by traffic to enter and exit the school.”
A Langlands Primary School parent
“Even after the exclusion zone was implemented, traffic continues to park in a queue into the school and on the streets nearby making it difficult to get around.
“It has been so bad that on several occasions I’ve seen parents park their cars in the middle of the roundabout on Lowson Avenue.
“Some, in the queue of cars trying to gain access, actually get out, lock their cars and walk into the school.”
Dundee
Fintry Primary School
Simon Redmond said Fintry Community Council believes the school exclusion zone at Findcastle Street, Findcastle Terrace, Findcastle Place and Finavon Terrace has been a waste of money.
Simon, treasurer of the community council and a school parent, said: “We, as a community council, feel it has been a waste of money because it hasn’t worked.
“Some days there are little improvements in the traffic, but then there are other days you see delivery vans going into the excluded streets and parking on the pavement so then the kids have to go onto the road to walk round them which isn’t safe.
“We support the police in their work but they can’t manage such a big area.
“There are four streets near the school so there are four entrances to the school exclusion zone and they don’t have the manpower to stop all the cars coming in.”
Conversation