Promoting safe parking outside East Sussex schools

The Safe Space programme aims to promote the safe spaces outside schools and highlights why parents and carers should not park on zig zag ‘keep clear’ road markings or on double yellow lines.

Civil Enforcement Officers are holding workshops in a number of primary schools across the county to explain to pupils what the road markings outside their schools mean and why they are necessary.

The children are also taking part in activities including issuing penalty charge notices to trikes illegally parked in the playground and reporting their tickets via two-way radios.

Pupils taking part in the workshops are awarded a Safer Schools Champion sticker and certificate. Information is also being sent home to remind parents and carers why they must not park in a school’s safe space.

Since the start of the new school year in September through to early June Civil Enforcement Officers completed 572 schools watch visits, with the aim of educating parents and carers about where they can and cannot park.

During the visits, officers issued 154 Penalty Charge Notices and 958 vehicles that were in contravention of the parking restrictions were asked to move on.

Claire Dowling, lead member for transport and environment said: “We know that the majority of drivers park responsibly outside schools, but unfortunately there is a minority who think it is acceptable to ignore the road markings and park where they like."

Schools can find out more about the programme and request a visit from the Safe Space schools team by emailing [email protected]