Dangerous school-run parking clampdown under way

Drivers who park illegally or dangerously outside schools in Wolverhampton are the focus of a crackdown as a new term is under way, the city council has said.

Mobile enforcement vehicles have been patrolling areas during the school run alongside foot patrol officers to catch anyone flouting traffic restrictions.

One mother, Rosemary Ward, told the BBC she had found it difficult to park safely while dropping off and picking up her three children at Springdale primary school.

She said new bollards had reduced the available street parking, forcing parents to leave their cars further away and walk.

"There's going to be a kid knocked over at some point," Ward said.

She said that her eldest son "doesn't understand dangers" of traffic due to learning difficulties, and that there was no school crossing patrol to help.

"Instead of trying to find solutions, they're just putting in these anti-parking bollards, they're getting all these enforcement vehicles out and they're fining parents," she said.

The enforcement vehicles, first launched last year, capture footage of potential parking violations, which are reviewed by an independent officer, and a driver can be fined through a penalty charge notice.

Ward suggested that the money raised from fines could go towards creating a pick-up and drop-off point at the school.

"They should be looking at ways to improve things," she said. "There should be something, especially with more mainstream schools having SEND children."

"We strongly encourage people to be more considerate when dropping off or collecting children from school and avoid creating a danger for others crossing nearby," councillor Bhupinder Gakhal said of the enforcement campaign.

He added: "There can be no compromise when it comes to children's safety and our enforcement vehicles and foot patrols are helping us tackle motorists who continue to flout waiting restrictions around schools."

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