Comment: Parents must do more to solve school parking problems

One group of people can solve parking congestion at school gates at a stroke.

Parents.

They are the cause of the problem.

They are also the clear solution.

Fife Free Press, February 22 front pageFife Free Press, February 22 front page
Fife Free Press, February 22 front page

There is barely a school in the town which doesn’t have problems at the gates as a procession of cars roll-up and drop-off youngsters every morning.

The fact that so many schools have had no alternative but to take steps to force the issue says it all.

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Fair Isle locked its gates to try to make a dfifference, others have launched ‘park and walk’plans.

Police have stepped up patrols and wardens deployed.

Fife Free Press, February 22 front pageFife Free Press, February 22 front page
Fife Free Press, February 22 front page

Some have reported short term improvements, but the congestion continues.

Today, it is the turn of St Marie’s Primary School to launch a new plan to put some distance between traffic and the school gates.

Once again, the initiative is led by pupils and teachers, and we wish it every success.

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The message is the same as the one given by Fair Isle, Capshard, Kirkcaldy West and Torbain, to name but a few – children and cars shouldn’t mix.

Many of our schools are on busy roads, some have very limited space to cope with traffic, and others know only too well how badly congestion impacts on local residents.

But every single problem at every single school could be solved overnight if parents parked a short distance away and walked their children the last few hundred yards. Is that really too much to ask?

Are our lives so busy we cannot take a few minutes of our our schedules to improve safety for all heading into classrooms?

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This problems doesn’t need money thrown at it, and it really shouldn’t be down to pupils and teachers to set the agenda either.

Parents – play your part.

Do that and your kids, and their pals, will all be that little bit safer.