Dangerous parking outside a Devon primary school is being cracked down on by cops. Safety concerns had been raised by local residents over Bovey Tracey primary school.
Vehicles had been parking outside the school, despite various road signs and letters communicating that it cannot be used during peak school times. In doing so, they were putting the safety of children at risk.
As part of the police routine patrols across the area, officers have been making recent stops outside the primary school at peak drop-off and pick-up times with the aim of increasing police visibility to deter vehicles from using this road, and keep it a safe walkway for parents and their children.
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Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Paul Wilson, from the Ashburton and Chudleigh neighbourhood police teams, said: “The school, parents and residents have recently raised concerns about a number of vehicles that have not been complying with the road closure outside the school, despite various road signs and letters communicating that it cannot be used during peak school times.
"Vehicles continuing to use the road at these times of day can be a real danger to the safety of the children. It has been closed for the past few years and remains a key route for many children and parents when travelling to and from school.
“The road leads directly and safely to the entrance of the school without the hazards of a normal busy road. However, if vehicles are using this road, it no longer remains the usual safe route for children, potentially putting them in danger.
“We have visited numerous times now, engaging with drivers to reinforce the importance of complying with the road closure to ensure children are not put at risk and that they remain safe. Not only that, it also reduces the amount of idle vehicles which can help to improve the air quality. Vehicles that continue to ignore the closure can end up receiving a penalty notice.
“I hope that our presence has helped to make a difference as it is imperative we keep our neighbourhoods safe - our teams will continue to make stops outside the school.
“It has also been a great opportunity for us to engage with members of our local community and understand more about issues that are important to them. If you see us out and about on our patrols, please do come and say hello, it’s really great to meet the people we’re here to protect.”
The traffic restriction is in place during school term times on Cromwell’s Way and Abbey Road from 8:25 – 9:05am and in the afternoon from 2:45 to 3:25pm.
