Parents who break parking regulations outside six east London primary schools could face getting a criminal record under plans from Havering Council. (BBC News)
The Council labels the current parking situation as an “imminent threat to life”, and will issue motorists with £100 fines and three warnings before a criminal prosecution is sought.
From spring, a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) will be set up meaning CCTV cameras will be able to identify anyone caught flouting the regulations. From here they will be able to be prosecuted.
One headteacher told the BBC that a child was recently hospitalised after being hit by a parent doing a three-point turn.
Una Connelly, headteacher of Wykeham Primary, said: “There have been a number of serious incidents involving dangerous driving by parents.
“There have also been many near misses, and we’re acting before there’s a fatality.
“The only way we’re going to stop these parents, and it’s only a very small minority, is by prosecution. This …order, for me, is the best idea.”
The BBC report suggests that other methods to improve the parking situation include a designated drop-off/pick-up zone within the school ground and closing roads around the school at the start and finish of the day.
Speaking to the BBC, Iain Temperton, RSGB’s director of communications, said parking could help to regulate traffic by forcing drivers to slow down, and urged the council not to focus on quick-fixes.
He said: “The PSPO sounds like a short-term solution. There’s always the difficulty you’re going to move the problem somewhere else.”
The schools involved in the scheme are: Gidea Park, Parsonage Farm, Ardleigh Green, Broadford, Wykeham and Engayne.