Zero tolerance campaign will target ‘nuisance’ parking by parents outside Thanet schools

There will be a zero tolerance campaign Photo Dane Valley Councillors

An ‘aggressive, zero tolerance’ campaign aimed at parents and carers who park irresponsibly outside schools is being launched in Thanet.

Thanet Community Safety Partnership aims to increase the number of penalty charges issued by 50% compared to last year and double the amount of ‘traffic visits’ to schools across the isle.

Thanet council’s head of operational services Trevor Kennett told councillors at a community safety working group meeting last night (February 20) that the partnership would be ‘doubling efforts’ to tackle the issue this year.

In 2017 30 parking tickets were issued to motorists parking on zig zags outside isle schools and there were 120 traffic visits to educate parents and pupils on parking and using the roads safely. In total for the year 1,025 PCNs were issued outside schools and roads associated with them for parking violations, with the main reason being cars parked on double yellow lines.

‘Unique problem’

Mr Kennett told councillors at the meeting: “This is a UK wide issue and it is often parents and carers who are the ones putting children at risk. It is a unique problem to solve, it’s not often that the victim and the offender are the same.

“The parking outside schools is astounding and the traffic officer is often subjected to abuse. Parents totally agree it is a real problem and needs to be solved until they are personally challenged for ‘abandoning’ their vehicle. Then they get abusive.

“The community safety plan includes taking action with enforcement services proactively targeting nuisance vehicles outside schools.

‘Zero tolerance’

“For 2018 we are going to try and double our efforts. Enforcement is not the answer on its own but levels of civil enforcement around schools are not enough. We can’t put an officer outside every school but we can target hot spots.

“In 2018 we will be making 250 traffic visits to schools and there will be a 50% increase in PCN issuing in associated roads. There will be awareness campaigns with the education officer visiting schools,

“We generally find the kids are totally on board and the schools are up for it, putting out A boards and marshalling but the issue is parents.

“With KCC and Kent Police we are going to have a more aggressive campaign aimed at parents and there will be zero tolerance around parking – they will all get a ticket and we will highlight the dangers and how inconsiderate parking puts children at risk.

“We have talked to schools and they agree that we need to target parents.”

13 Comments

  1. And of course lack of consideration by those who block a drive whilst a car is in the drive, lock their car and walk off to pick up their little darlings.

    • And before anyone retorts I chose to live near a school. Wrong the school was built 20+ years after I bought my property.

  2. Well i hope they target the zigzag lines on new crossing in fairfield road broadstairs by dane court school , cars parked tightly on zigzags ! It used to be a fine and points on licence for the offence and too the zigzags on crossing in hereson road by Tesco , police should have a field day !

    • I asked a certain Labour County Councillor about this a long time ago and I was told “Walk your children to school”.
      I said that I would happily do this if I wasn’t disabled.

      • Secondary school children are old enough to go to school by themselves. Primary school children who live within walking distance should walk there with a a relative or go on public transport. Everyone knows now about the beneficial effects of walking.

        There are certainly some shockingly inconsiderate parents parking near our local school.

        • I agree 100% when I was at school we always had to walk, Rain,Snow, Wind, our schools were about 4 miles away and we still went to school on foot,
          And we did`t get days off for schools being closed cus it`s cold weather or a mm of snow underfoot not like today lucky little things.

    • Parents would park *their* cars down the road a bit, in order to pick up *their* children. Or go on the bus. Or cycle. Or walk.

    • If they park in a decent and legal place and walk a few yards it may reduce the obesity of the idiot parkers and their kids.

  3. It’s a shame parents who drop and pick up their kids by car are not more considerate. Many don’t care about anyone, not even other people’s kids, only themselves. Their selfishness astounds and their attitudes towards anyone who rebukes them is appalling and downright rude to say the least. This project needs to be carried out regularly in turn at all Schools as as soon as the officers are gone it just returns to bedlam again.
    How about most Schools having a drive-through drop off, pick up system? A lot have the room to incorporate this. It would cut down on bad parking outside on the roads.

  4. Fully supportive of this initiative. I would also urge drivers to not jump red lights at the Nash Road/Shottendane Road/Hartsdown Road/College Road/Tivoli Road junction in Margate and be cautious when turning the corners. I witness red light jumpers regularly and for what? Is it really worth it at the risk of injuring someone? We are having an ongoing campaign to improve crossing facilities for families attending the local school and hope that things will move forward in the very near future.

  5. It’s a shame that taxi drivers don’t have the same rules of the road as the rest of us have. This comment is directed to the taxi driver who parked on the zig zag school markings during the school run, despite the school having also put out no waiting cones as well to discourage people from doing this.
    Next time I see this I will take a picture and share it on social media.

Comments are closed.