Latest news with #SchoolStreets
BBC News
23-04-2025
- BBC News
Medway mum receives £1,000 of parking fines despite exemption
A Kent mother has received £1,260 worth of fines for dropping her daughter off at school despite being a blue badge Nwaokolo, from Walderslade in Chatham, has been fined £70 on 18 separate occasions for using a School Street even though blue badge holders are exempt from the received a court order in April over the fines despite having been reassured she qualified for an exemption, she Council said it was withdrawing the fines and reviewing its internal processes. The authority introduced School Streets near seven schools in the area in March 2024 in an attempt to improve safety and air roads become pedestrian and cycle-only zones during term-time drop-off and pick-up plate recognition cameras are used to enforce the restrictions, but residents, their carers and blue badge holders are Nwaokolo was temporarily using a courtesy car in November and December – when the fines were issued – but said she gave the council the new vehicle registration, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Ms Nwaokolo said that receiving penalty charge notices (PCNs) for using the street was making her health "a lot worse" and she was concerned about her credit rating."It's actually got to the point that I'm scared to open the mail, because every time I open the mail, there is a new citation or a penalty charge," she said."What annoys me the most is that they have assured me that I am exempt, that I don't need to pay for this, and yet they are now taking it to court because I haven't paid."Medway Council said it apologised for "any distress caused" and that the fines issued "were due to a delay in processing a change of vehicle exemption"."We are also reviewing internal processes to prevent similar occurrences in the future."The local authority is currently consulting on expanding School Streets to nine further sites in Medway.
BBC News
13-03-2025
- BBC News
Harrogate bike bus success after school traffic reduction trial
A "bike bus" that allows children to cycle to school safely will become permanent thanks to a successful traffic reduction School Streets scheme has been adopted in Harrogate following 18 months of restrictions on drop-off and pick-up times on Beechwood Grove, near Oatlands Junior Yorkshire Council said it would become permanent after positive feedback was Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transport, said: "The first in North Yorkshire, the scheme represents a huge milestone for increasing road safety and promoting sustainable travel from a young age." Parents had been able to set up the bike bus, which allows children and adults to cycle together from The Stray to Oatlands Infant and Junior joined the group for the monthly meet-up and added: "The success of School Streets here serves as an example for the rest of North Yorkshire and we are now looking to introduce similar schemes elsewhere in the county."As part of the scheme, Marks and Spencer and Hornbeam Park Station have agreed to become "park and stride" points from where families can park and walk to school.A School Streets pilot is also under way at Seamer and Irton Community Primary School, near Scarborough, the authority said. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
