The Swindon Labour Group’s Shadow Lead for Transport, Councillor Julian Price, has urged Swindon Council to do more to ensure a more safer running of child drop offs and collection at Swindon’s schools. This call comes following news that an elderly man suffering a heart attack couldn’t be immediately transported to hospital in an ambulance because of so many cars picking up school children were blocking its exit.
The Swindon Labour Group’s Shadow Lead for Transport, Councillor Julian Price, has urged Swindon Council to do more to ensure a more safer running of child drop offs and collection at Swindon’s schools. This call comes following news that an elderly man suffering a heart attack couldn’t be immediately transported to hospital in an ambulance because of so many cars picking up school children were blocking its exit.
Councillor Price said that he had heard of other cases of unsafe dropping and collection of school pupils and said this was an issue widespread across many schools in Swindon. He urged Swindon Council to work with schools, responsible parents and neighbourhood police teams to find solutions for each school that has this problem, to create a more orderly running of pupil drop offs and collections.
Councillor Julian Price said: “With the revelations last week regarding St Catherine’s School I think the time has come for Swindon Council to take a lead in ensuring the orderly and safe transportation of pupils to schools. While the specific case of the ambulance not being able to get to the hospital is unique, dangerous parking and driving from a few irresponsible parents is common amongst the majority of schools.
And I know of some schools who are crying out for more action to be taken by the Council. They tell us that there will be casualties if action isn’t taken and that there have already been near-misses.
Each school will have their own solution to addressing this problem but I think the Council needs to work with schools and also neighbourhood policing teams in finding solutions. The most pressing problem is parents wanting to drive right up to the school gates to drop off their child, so the Council has a role in using its highway powers to prevent this and schools and neighbourhood policing teams will have to take the lead in enforcement.
I hope we can reach cross-party agreement on this movement forward.”