The Telegraph & Argus has featured many stories relating to the problems of parking around schools, and on several occasions we have called for more care and consideration from parents who drive their children to school.
Our schools, especially those that have been established for a long time, were never really designed to cope with lots of cars trying to negotiate the often narrow and usually residential streets on which they are situated.
Schools always used to be within walking distance for the children they attracted, but greater choice for parents and rationalisation of school provision, meaning fewer schools take in more pupils from a wider catchment area than they used to rather inevitably mean that some parents will have to drive their children to classes.
Time after time there have been calls for motorists to not thoughtlessly park on yellow lines or blocking in other cars, and to drive slowly and carefully on roads thronged with small children at peak times.
But the complaints continue to rise, and now Bradford Council is stepping up the campaign – and it could prove very costly for some people.
A car laden with CCTV equipment will be patrolling at school-run times and will be able to provide enough evidence to slap £70 fines on those who park haphazardly or dangerously outside schools while dropping off their children.
Some people might find the idea of being filmed for such purposes disquieting, but we are assured the car will be highly visible and well-marked rather than covert, hopefully providing a deterrent as well as doling out punishment.
Had calls for less thoughtless behaviour been heeded, perhaps such measures might not have to be taken now.
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