Council urges parents to park smart

Parents and carers who drive their children to and from school are being urged to park safely and considerately around Highland schools through an initiative called “Park Smart”.

Balloch Primary School, Inverness is currently participating in the ‘Park Smart’ scheme and over the next two months other schools participating will include Park Primary, Invergordon on 11th September; Duncan Forbes Primary, Culloden on 25th September; and from 2nd October, Cradlehall Primary, Drakies Primary and Muirtown Primary in Inverness will be combining ‘Park Smart’ with Walk to School Week to encourage parents to leave the car at home. Mount Pleasant Primary, Thurso and Grantown Primary, Badenoch and Strathspey will also be running Park Smart on during this week.

Each school decides on a time when they would like to run ‘Park Smart’ which usually runs for one week. A ‘Park Smart’ banner is erected outside the worst affected parking areas of school and a letter is sent home to parents and carers with a ‘Park Smart’ leaflet.

On the week of ‘Park Smart’ the school designates a ‘no parking’ zone around the school. The Banner is put up in the no parking area, along with ‘Park Smart’ posters. Parents must drop their children off outside of the no parking zone, and the children must then walk in to the school grounds.

Ailsa Campbell, Highland Council’s School Travel Coordinator said: “Park Smart tries to get across the message that even parking for a short time on yellow zig-zags makes it dangerous for children who want to cross the road.

“Adults should try to remember what is was like to be at child-height – try getting down to your child’s height and see how difficult it is to see over cars. Parked cars stop children from seeing approaching traffic and drivers from seeing them. Parents and carers should walk their children to and from school and show them how to cross carefully.

“If you really have to drive your child to and from school, park well away from the school, and never park on the zig-zags. Remember to consider other children who are walking to and from school (not just your own) and always look out for them.”