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Call for cars to be banned from school gates

This news post is almost 6 years old
 

Living Streets has said action is needed to encourage more youngsters to walk to school

Parents should be banned from dropping off children at the school gates in cars, a charity has said.

Living Streets has said that the amount of youngsters walking to school has dropped over the past decade.

And the charity wants to see a ban on cars at primary schools to improve road safety, and cut congestion and air pollution.

A survey of more than 1,000 parents showed only 43% of children walk to school, down from 48% 10 years ago.

A third of parents questioned said they would take pollution into consideration when choosing a school. The vast majority (86%) of 18 to 24-year-olds said they were concerned about pollution around schools, but this drops to 32% for 45 to 54-year-olds.

Stuart Hay, director of Living Streets Scotland, called for local authorities and schools to work together to encourage walking to school.

“We would like a ban on people driving up to the school gate – adding to air pollution, congestion and road danger during drop off and pick up,” he said.

“Walking to school not only improves our air quality but is a great way for children to build more exercise into their daily lives, helping them to arrive to school healthier, happier and ready to learn.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We take air pollution very seriously and are committed to protecting the public from the effects of poor air quality. Compared to the rest of the UK and other parts of Europe, Scotland enjoys a high level of air quality, but we cannot be complacent.

“Whilst it is for local authorities to manage the school estate, we are working closely with them to deliver a network of Low Emission Zones in cities, which will improve public health by reducing pollution. Our Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to promote air quality and Scotland is the first country in Europe to pass legislation based on World Health Organisation guidelines for fine particulate matter.”

 

Comments

0 0
Noah
almost 6 years ago
Nice!
0 0
Mark R Whittet
almost 6 years ago
Banning cars from school gates is not the solution.The reasons parents take kids to school by cars are at least two-foldFirst - for safety Second - for convenience as they are often on way to/from workSo 'banning' cars from school gates will simply move the problem further down the same road/ still near the school.The best practical solution to meet the above two foremost needs would be to arrange a 'drop-off' point in an u-shaped road in/through the school/ gates/ in one and out the other... like at an airportThis keeps traffic flowing, and keeps parents satisfied about kids' safety.Mark R Whittet (LLB, BA) Leader Scotland's Independence Referendum Party Mark@SIRP.Scot @ScotsIndyRef3 Tel 0774 252 9564 http://www.scotlandsindependencereferendumparty.scot/ http://www.scotlandsindependencereferendumparty.scot/aboutScotland’s Independence Referendum Party The primary goal – and number one objective in the constitution of Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party – is to achieve political Independence for Scotland. We aim to do so by helping to bring about a new/ second Scottish Independence Referendum in light of the entirely-changed political and constitutional landscape following the UK Brexit vote. We shall do this by providing a meaningful, valid, SECOND choice/ chance to vote for Independence-supporting MSPs in elections to the next Scottish Parliament; ie SNP party members/ voters can vote ‘first’ choice for SNP on the ballot paper, and then vote ‘second’ choice for Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party on the ballot paper. This gives two choices/ chances/ votes in favour of Scotland’s Independence (instead of the present 1/ SNP – and reduces the ‘stray’/ use-less ‘second’ vote going to any other British Unionist party. Despite the use of the word ‘Scottish’ in front of their names, the Liberals, Tories and Labour are all single, British Unionist parties and are all controlled from, and based in, their London head offices. Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party is not competing with the SNP; rather, we want to work in a progressive alliance with them and other parties and organisations which support Independence for Scotland.
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