Scots school janitors ‘could be asked to issue fines to parents parking badly'
The local authority is currently looking at how road safety around schools can be improved
PENALTY PLAN Scots school janitors 'could be asked to issue fines to parents parking badly'
A SCOTS council has been asked to consider tasking school janitors with fining parents for poor parking.
Concerns have been raised over hazardous manoeuvring and bad parking at drop-off and collection spots in the Falkirk area.
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EYR368 Closeup of a UK parking ticket (penalty charge notice)
Credit: Alamy
The local authority is currently looking at how road safety around schools can be improved, after £200,000 for enhancements was agreed in this year's capital budget.
An external consultant has now been tasked to inspect the issue.
And feedback forms have been handed out to the council's 59 schools, as reported by The Falkirk Herald.
The problem was discussed as part of the local authority's new road safety review and was also mentioned in talks surrounding new fines for parking on pavements and at dropped kerbs.
During a meeting of Falkirk Council's executive this week, Tory group leader, Baillie James Kerr, suggested janitorial staff could be involved in issuing penalties when enforcement for pavement parking starts in August.
He said: 'I know there would need to be discussions around job descriptions and with trade unions. But I'm sure if you asked every janitor in the local schools, they would like to help make it possible.
'I think it would only need to happen once or twice. If one of the janitors issues a ticket, it will stop.
'I know it's a long way off, but would you consider it after consultation with education and HR?'
Engineering design manager Gary McGregor said he was 'not sure this was a route the council could go down'.
But he agreed to raise the issue at the joint meeting between education and roads.
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Councillor James Bundy asked if parents who were in their cars with the engine idling could be penalised under fresh powers.
Officers said they are considering other options in a bid to crack down on the issue.
Falkirk Council's engineering designers have also been involved at parking, visibility and access, and recommendations have been made for schools.
SNP economic development spokesperson, Councillor Paul Garner, said the £200,000 budget would 'increase road safety around schools, hopefully, a great deal'.
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Toyota Auris (2012-2019) Average used price: £4,650 10 The Toyota Auris is a great option for those wanting a green car that boasts impressive reliability especially for the price Credit: Alamy Faults: 28% Breakdowns: 7% Days off the road: 5.3 The predecessor to the Toyota Corolla, the Auris served as the brands family hatchback offering for almost two decades until it was replaced in 2019. The second generation Auris, sold between 2012-2019, boasts impressive reliability with less than three in ten owners reporting faults in the last year, and only seven per cent saying their vehicle broke down. The average price of £4,650 makes this a competitive option when looking for a family, and environment, friendly hatchback. The only caveat is that the Auris took an average of 5.3 days to get back on the road after a breakdown, which is higher than other cars on this list. Princess Andre hits back at money-shaming trolls who claim 'Peter and Katie Price bought her £10k motor as first car' 9. 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Suzuki Swift (2010-2016) Average used price: £3,500 10 Suzuki Swift is considered by some an overlooked gem of the supermini class Credit: Getty Faults: 27% Breakdowns: 8% Days off the road: 1.4 Suzuki appears again on this list with the 2010-2016 Swift supermini, a compact, simple vehicle at a compelling price. Received positively upon release, the Swift was praised for being fun to drive with a competitive blend of efficiency and performance. Now on sale for only around three and a half grand, this might be a great option for those looking for a small but fiery little motor. Although it scores a little worse on breakdowns, with 8 per cent being the highest on this list, it does only spend a brief 1.4 days in the shop when things do go wrong. Couple this with a good score of 27 per cent reporting faults, and this characterful car is still a good buy in 2025. 6. BMW X1 (2009-2015) Average used price: £5,200 10 The BMW X1 is surprisingly reliable for a big luxury SUV Credit: handout Faults: 35% Breakdowns: 7% Days off the road: 2.1 In a shock entry to this list, the BMW X1 is an outlier for luxury SUVs, which are often unreliable and costly to repair. On the contrary, the X1 competes with other, much smaller, simpler cars with a respectable record of just 7 per cent reporting breakdowns last year and only 2.1 days taken to fix on average. Consumers may be able to take advantage of typically low SUV resale prices, generally due to reliability and repair cost concerns, to pick up this hidden gem for a very reasonable price of around £5,000. That said, the X1 does rank low on this list in terms of faults, with over a third experiencing issues in the last 12 months. 5. Skoda CitiGo (2009-2019) Average used price: £4,500 10 The Skoda Citigo is mechanically identical to the popular VW Up! making it a great choice for a small car on a budget that also boasts good reliability Credit: Getty Faults: 22% Breakdowns: 5% Days off the road: 2.8 Mechanically identical to the VW Up!, the Skoda CitiGo was meant for squeezing into tight parking spaces and down narrow streets while keeping your fuel costs and insurance premiums to a minimum. After being discontinued five years ago, the CitiGo now makes for a tempting prospect on the second-hand market. It was initially praised for being surprisingly roomy for being so small, and for being the cheaper alternative to the Up! while essentially being the same car. It boasts impressive reliability, with only 22 per cent reporting faults and 5 per cent experiencing a break down. The CitiGo is fairly quick to repair as well, only spending 2.8 days at the garage before being ready for more. 4. Honda Jazz (2008-2015) Average used price: £3,800 10 The Honda Jazz is popular among older drivers, but this doesn't mean it's not a great option for a convenient and reliable motor Credit: handout Faults: 25% Breakdowns: 4% Days off the road: 2.7 Almost exclusively driven by those of a certain age, the Honda Jazz is popular amongst the older demographic for a reason: its convenient, reliable and easy to drive. These attributes might get Grandma excited, but they should also make the Jazz an attractive option for anyone looking for a solid vehicle at a bargain price. One in four owners reported a fault with their cars and the average time in the garage was 2.7 days being fixed by mechanics. Your Jazz shouldn't be seeing the inside of a garage too often though, with only 4 per cent breaking down in the last year. 3. Lexus RX 450h (2009-2015) Average used price: £6,400 10 The Lexus RX 450h is a very reliable option for a big family motor, breakdowns are very rare according to Which? 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Mazda MX-5 (2005-2015) Average used price: £3,800 10 The Mazda MX5 Roadster Coupe is a British icon, and could be yours for less than £4,000 if you opt for an older model Credit: Getty Faults: 26% Breakdowns: 0% Days off the road: 1.7 The iconic MX-5 speeds into the number two spot for good reason, bucking the trend of unreliable sports car to still deliver thrilling driving with solid build quality at a good price. Hailing originally from the late 1980's, this example of the world's best selling roadster is the third generation MX-5, it debuted in 2005 and still holds up today. The record from Which?'s data is flawless when it comes to breakdowns, and shows that this classic is quick to fix only spending 1.7 days in the shop. Just over a quarter reported faults, but that's not a huge figure when it comes to second-hand sports cars. 1. Lexus CT 200h (2011-2020) Average used price: £7,300 10 The Lexus CT 200h is the number one car according to the Which? car survey for reliability Credit: PR handout Faults: 13% Breakdowns: 0% Days off the road: 1.2 Topping the list as the most reliable 10 to 15 year-old car comes the Lexus CT 200h, a full hybrid hatchback which served as the brands answer to the Ford Focus and VW Golf until 2020. CT 200h owners surveyed by Which? delivered glowing reviews, reporting zero breakdowns and only 13 per cent experiencing a fault with their car. Drivers praised the vehicles comfort and, of course, reliability, only pointing to a small boot and clunky infotainment system as critiques, as reported by thisismoney. The car sells for around £7,000, the priciest offering so far, but its near spotless record should mean your investment pays off with a dependable motor that is good for years to come. The ones to steer clear of Which? puts the diesel powered Vauxhall Zafira (2005-2014) and Nissan Qashqai (2007-20013) as two of the least reliable vehicles that consumers should steer well clear of if dependability is their aim. The Zafira has become known for catching fires in recent years due to issues with its heater blower motor and regulator. This usually happens when owners replace parts with cheaper, aftermarket components. It is hardly a wonder that drivers are turning to cut-price alternatives when the Zafira breaks down on three in ten owners, with more than half reporting faults in the last year. The car also takes a whopping 14 days on average for repairs to be made. The first generation Nissan Qashqai also from suffers reliability issues, and needs almost a week in the garage on average before it is road-ready after a malfunction. Both these cars use diesel fuel, and Which? has found that this is by far the worst fuel type for reliability, with an average fault rate of 48 per cent, compared to 39 per cent for petrol and 23 per cent for hybrids. Least reliable older cars aged 10-15 years Vauxhall Zafira DIESEL (2005 - 2014) Nissan Qashqai DIESEL (2007 - 2013) Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2007 - 2014) Skoda Octavia Estate (2005 - 2013) Audi A4 (2008 - 2015)
