CONCERNS about pupil safety led to a road outside a Bournemouth school being shut to traffic as part of an experimental closure.
Parents with children at St Michael's Primary School welcomed the initiative following concerns over traffic jams.
Talking to the Daily Echo about the experimental closure, parents were almost totally unanimous in their praise for the measure, installed to create a “safer” environment for children.
As part of the BCP Council lead School Streets initiative, Somerville Road by St Michael’s CE Primary School was closed from 8am-9am and again from 2.15pm-3.15pm in a scheme which will continue until August.
As reported last year, staff at St Michael’s said they were growing increasingly concerned about pupil safety as traffic jams built outside the school when drivers would flout the one way system and park on double yellow lines.
“It is not safe,” said head teacher Anthony Evans at the time.
Following discussions with the council, the road closure scheme is being trialled in four schools in Bournemouth and Poole in association with walking/cycling charity Sustrans.
On Monday, dozens of parents walked down Somerville Road to the school gates to collect their children and were generally positive in their thoughts on the closure.
One mother said: “It is a good idea because all parents who parked here before were endangering the children by letting them just run out of the car. I don’t drive, I take the bus and there’s a few mums who also walk. I support this 100 per cent.”
Another father said: “This is much better, there’s actually space to walk and you don’t have to look over your shoulder constantly in fear that your child is going into traffic.”
However, some expressed concern the road closure would result in larger traffic build up in adjacent roads.
Mother and resident Kelly Wells said: “I think it’s a joke. Before this there were traffic wardens, one either side of the road.
“I think they should go back to that with wardens doing their job and filtering cars properly which would stop any backlog. I can see why they’ve done this, but there are simpler ways to do it.”
In September, the school said enforcement from traffic wardens was “so infrequent” they could not be relied upon.
Issy Riding, Sustrans’ school streets officer for BCP, said: “The aim here is to make this area safer for children, improve air quality outside the school gates and make it a calmer environment for everyone. A teacher told me less children were late today which is obviously a really positive thing as well.”
Some vehicles will be allowed down the road during the closure times, these are: blue badge holders, Somerville Road residents, emergency services, businesses with premises on the street, large deliveries, carers/doctors, and contracted school transport providers.
Public consultation for the experimental traffic order is still open. After ending in August, officials will decide whether to make the change permanent.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel