“CCC are struggling to enforce parking violations on zig zag yellow lines outside our schools in Carmarthenshire putting children at risk from severe injury or death.
Can I ask the Executive Board Member “What can be done by CCC to enforce parking restrictions outside schools and ensure pupils in all schools in Carmarthenshire be safe when arriving on a school day and leaving at the end of the day?”
Minutes:
Carmarthenshire County Council are struggling to enforce parking violations on zig zag yellow lines outside our schools in Carmarthenshire putting children’s lives at risk from severe death or injury.
“What can be done by Carmarthenshire County Council to enforce parking restrictions outside schools and ensure pupils in all schools in Carmarthenshire are safe when arriving on a school day and leaving at the end of the day”
Response by Councillor Phillip Hughes – Executive Board Member for Public Protection:-
Thank you Councillor Evans for your question.
Working with our partners in the statutory agencies, the County Council employs a range of measures and interventions to support the safety of all road users, particularly young people. A broad mix of engineering, enforcement and education initiatives are employed to help reduce the risk to the young and old.
For example, from an engineering perspective, over the last four years we have invested over two and a half million pounds in Safe Routes to Schools by working with communities to bid for and secure grant funding from the Welsh Government. We have also continued our investment in active travel linkages to encourage people to walk and cycle more, aimed at reducing the amount of travel by car.
From an education perspective, our road safety education programme includes specific training for young people such as road safety training in schools, which includes, safe walking and cycling. Also training is given for motorists along with road safety campaigns and media releases through social media to highlight the dangers of parking on school keep clear markings
Our Walk to School programme for example encourages parents to walk, cycle or scoot to and from school with children. Walking to school benefits pupils, parents, the school and the local community:
· It develops pedestrian and road safety skills;
· Reduces traffic congestion around the school gate;
· Pupils arrive at school more alert and on time;
· Less emissions helping to improve air quality;
· It also promotes moderate physical exercise.
With regards to enforcement, the County Council has worked with Go Safe and the Police to undertake speed reduction initiatives. For example, a Speed Indication Device is deployed and where motorists are speeding, Roads Policing will stop motorists who exceed the speed limit, the motorists will be offered the choice of a fine with penalty points or alternatively speak to the children and a County Council Road Safety Officer.
From a parking perspective, again the County Council works with schools and the police with joint visits to schools and of course as you mention, the deployment of the camera car. When the car was introduced, the Council worked with school children to promote the initiative, indeed, a competition was organised with school children to name the car and encourage responsible parking behaviour. A year two pupil from Ysgol Brynsierfel won the competition and the car was named ‘Iolo Patrolo’.
Since it was launched, the camera car has been deployed at a range of locations across the county to address road safety concerns since it was purchased in 2019/20. Year 2020/21 has been an exceptional year due to the pandemic, behaviours have changed and travel has reduced due to the impact of the necessary restrictions. Our range of interventions will continue in the future to support road safety and include deployment of the enforcement car.
I must stress that if we are to improve road safety, there will always be a need to strike the balance and work with communities to achieve this using a broad mix of education, engineering and enforcement initiatives.
Supplementary Question by Councillor Evans
Can Carmarthenshire County Council purchase another camera car to enforce parking violations on yellow zig zag lines outside schools as we have only one, and it does break down, and a campaign by Carmarthenshire County Council to get the message to car owners that parking on yellow zig zag lines, and this is my point Philip, this is my question, it is an offence and can cause severe injury or death to pupils and that patrol cameras cars are patrolling these areas regularly. One will not suffice, we do need possibly to have another one and possibly two.
Response by Councillor Philip Hughes – Executive Board member for Public Protection:
It is a question of striking the balance as set out in my answer. Much of the parking around schools will involve the parents and carers of pupils that is why it is important to work with schools and communities on the range of measures to influence behaviours. Fortunately, the number of reported incidents and near misses outside the school gate at school times over the last three years is minimal. But, I hasten to add, we will not be complacent and will continue to educate, engineer and enforce where necessary. We can all appeal to our communities, parents and carers to think about how we make the journey to school and to behave responsibly to support the safety of our young people.
With regards to a second car, this is something I will take that up with the powers that be and I will come back to you on that one Rob, if I may.