New parking enforcement measures to increase safety around schools

To increase safety around schools in time for the new school year, Leeds City Council is introducing new measures to tackle parking near schools and in bus stops around the city.

Drivers are being reminded that it is illegal, and can be dangerous, to park on zig-zag lines near schools or pedestrian crossings and in bus stops. In order to address this the council will use a new CCTV enforcement vehicle which will record short video clips of offending vehicles.

Councillor Richard Lewis, executive member for regeneration, transport and planning said:

“Despite our best efforts to resolve the issue of parking around the school gates there are still a number of people who value their own convenience more than the safety of children and other pedestrians. This is why we are now introducing these new measures using CCTV vehicles to record evidence and take action against those who are flouting the law.”

The council’s parking enforcement team are regularly contacted by schools asking for additional support to tackle illegal parking at the school gates. This new vehicle will enable the team to respond to more requests and will hopefully deter more people from trying to take the lazy, and dangerous, option by parking illegally.

The vehicle will also be able to record evidence of illegal parking in bus stops and on zig-zag lines near pedestrian crossings – therefore outside of school pick-up and drop-off times and during school holidays it will be put to good use throughout the city to make roads safer.

Drivers who are caught committing an offence will receive a letter with images taken from the CCTV footage, and will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice of £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within two weeks).