Horsham District Council’s Neighbourhood Wardens for Horsham Town Centre and Civil Enforcement Officers for Parking carried out a week of action at Horsham’s Kingslea Primary School last month, to help understand ongoing parking problems in the vicinity of local schools.
Parking during school drop off and pick up times can be particularly tricky for parents, residents and the emergency services trying to gain vital access to roads.
The purpose of the week of action was to encourage drivers to be considerate of other road users and pedestrians and to make safer parking choices.
No fines were issued during the week but a number of reports were made to Sussex Police’s Operation Crackdown for drivers seen stopping on the zig zag lines outside of the school to set down or pick up passengers.
As a result, the police have sent letters to the owners of the vehicles.
Cars parking on junctions or obstructing passing vehicles was also frequently observed. This type of parking may only be for a short amount of time, but it can never be predicted when an emergency might happen and the emergency services may need to gain access.
To highlight the importance of keeping roads clear, firefighters from Horsham Fire Station also visited the area with a fire engine to demonstrate how difficult inconsiderate or obstructive parking can be.
Many parents of Kingslea Primary School engaged with the Wardens and Civil Enforcement Officers over the week. Parents with buggies and prams felt safer for not having to walk in the road to pass cars parked on the pavement.
Going forward, drivers are encouraged to take a moment when parking to consider other road users and pedestrians and whether safer choices could be made.
Often there is on-road parking available just a short walk from schools, which not only can help to reduce congestion, but also has health benefits and could make the difference in an emergency.
The Neighbourhood Wardens would urge all parents to consider these factors when next driving to school to ensure safe access is maintained.
If you would like to discuss road safety issues or concerns, you can contact the Horsham Wardens at: Horsham.NeighbourhoodWardens@horsham.gov.uk.
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