Car free zones could be trialled at seven primary schools in Glasgow in a bid to improve road safety for pupils.
The scheme, which is currently being consulted on by Glasgow City Council, would see temporary pedestrian areas created outside the schools for limited periods in the morning and afternoon.
The schools chosen for the pilot have a history of complaints and concerns from parents, the local community and elected members about pupil safety on the school run.
A starting date for the school car free zones has still to be confirmed – although it is anticipated that the trial period will last for up to 18 months.
Criteria for the success of the project will include its impact on congestion and speed around school gates – as well as the number of pupils walking and cycling to school.
Cllr Chris Cunningham, Glasgow City Council’s convenor for education, skills and early years, says concerns raised by the affected communities are behind the plans for car free zones.
Cllr Cunningham said: “There is a public demand from parents and residents to make sure children are as safe as possible when heading to and from school.
“A number of initiatives have already tried to clamp down on poor driver behaviour, but problems that put children at risk still persist.
“In the circumstances we have to go one step further to protect our children. Car free zones outside schools can create safe spaces for young people at key points of the school day.
“The zones are being introduced on a trial basis and we will be looking very carefully at the evidence to see how effective they prove to be.”
The primary schools involved in the trial are: Bankhead, Broomhill, Hillhead, Lourdes, Our Lady of the Rosary, St Blane’s and Toryglen.
Paul
I don’t disagree with you and I’m not adverse to encompassing most aspects of active travel and road safety together as many (but not all) aspects are complimentary.
Unlike in England, Wales does have a Road Safety Framework (and targets) and the current framework clearly states that it is to focus on casualty reduction.
Time for the ministers to join the two strands up properly and that means pumping some more resources – people and money – into active travel ETP to support the meager road safety ETP budgets.
Pat, Wales
0
Pat, it has long been a criticism of “road safety” that it was too accepting of the status quo and sought to place responsibility for not being squashed onto vulnerable road users.
Some of us welcome a shift to road danger reduction to actually encourage active travel.
Paul Luton, Teddington
+3
Many “school gate” initiatives come under the guise of road safety. In previous times road safety was primarily about casualty reduction and teaching children to walk and cycle safely was part of that.
These days the road safety remit has been stretched to cover active travel in a big way which includes encouraging walking and cycling per se not just doing so safely.
The schools in this article may be special but car free zones will be just another aspect of active travel for most, not really much to do with casualty reduction at all as the majority of schools have a zero stats 19 casualty record outside the gates.
Pat, Wales
+5
Is it a belief that children of a young age could be in danger or is there actual statistical proof that they are. There is a difference between perceived danger and actual danger, Which is it? Is it the case that perhaps it’s the parents that drive their kids to school that are the cause of the problem or is it other traffic unrelated that is to blame?
What areas will the no entries be contained in? how far away would a young child have to walk? would they be protected by parents etc’s. Many things need to be considered and answered or is this the beginning of walking to school as an option and leaving the vehicles at home.
R.Craven
+1