Useful advice for schools looking to address problem parking.
Parking issues around schools are an age-old problem. A lot of schools, especially primary schools, are situated on narrow roads in built-up residential areas, where even homeowners often do not have enough space to park their cars.
The car parks provided by schools are usually provided for the benefit of the students and their staff, so what do you do when you’re affected by inconsiderate parking around educational institutions?
What are the school parking rules?
Dangerous parking is an increasing issue around schools, putting the safety of children and others at risk. Parking on zig-zag lines or pedestrian crossings can cause visibility issues to drivers and people walking the pavements alike.
Drivers should not park near a school entrance
This also includes anywhere that prevents access for emergency services, at or near a bus stop, opposite or within 10 metres of a junction, over a dropped kerb, and in front of an entrance to a property.
Drivers should not park on yellow zig-zag lines
These lines indicate the length of the road where stopping or waiting is strictly prohibited. Where there is an upright sign, there is a mandatory prohibition of stopping and/or waiting during the times shown. Yellow zig zag lines without signs do not have a Traffic Regulation Order and therefore, are not legally enforceable.
Drivers should not park on white zig-zag lines
Unlike yellow zig-zag lines, white zig-zag lines are enforced by local authorities and the police, and prohibit stopping or waiting even in the presence of a sign.
Drivers should not park on double yellow lines
Stopping or waiting on a double yellow line is strictly prohibited. Double yellow lines prevent vehicle owners from parking or waiting in this area at any time.
Drivers should not park on single yellow lines at certain times
Single yellow lines prohibit parking during specific times. A nearby sign will indicate the times in which vehicle owners are allowed to park on single yellow lines.
What can schools do to address parking problems?
Outside of police enforced laws, we encourage schools to come up with their own set of rules and get parents to sign them, to encourage better behaviour when it comes to parking outside schools.
Alongside a set of rules – such as introducing a no parking zone within a certain distance of the school or staggering school drop-offs to help relieve the amount of traffic arriving at the school at once – there are other parking solutions.
You could introduce schemes such as ‘Park and Stride’. These schemes aim to persuade parents to park at a nearest local car park, or advise them to park a good distance away from school and walk the rest of the journey. The walk to and from the car should take at least five minutes to promote a healthier lifestyle.
If you don’t do so already, banners and signs could also act as a deterrent to those parents who regularly break the rules. Additionally, you could make a report to your local council either online or via the telephone and request Civil Enforcement Officers to attend the school. Officers have the authority to issue instant Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to drivers breaking the parking laws and restrictions.
Need a helping hand?
With tight budgets, educational institutions rarely think about car management as a priority.
School car parks can be a hotspot for overcrowding during term time. This issue often makes it difficult for parking facilities to be used by staff and students, leading to disruption and undue stress for everyone involved.
At Creative Car Park offers we offer solutions that enable organisations to generate revenue from their car parks, allowing them to use the funds to improve other areas of the school.
We’re able to help you stop people from breaching your parking rules. We can install Pay-to-Park options and sophisticated ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras so that you know who is using your car park at all times.
We’ll work with you to ensure that your staff, visitors and students have enough space to park every single day and take care of all of the paperwork, charges and appeals. Leaving your staff to focus their time on your students, rather than having to police the car park.
To start working with Creative Car Park today, request a free, no-obligation audit of your premises car park by filling in the form below.
