The forum has responded to the TRO consultation HON-8014-RC in support of increased waiting restrictions outside Horsham schools.
You can read the response below (also available as a PDF).
Comments submitted by Horsham District Cycling Forum on Traffic Regulation Order Consultation HON-8014-RC – Horsham SKC Formalisation (Waiting Restrictions) on 3 December 2015
[This TRO proposal by WSCC introduces waiting restrictions (double yellow lines and ziz-zags around a number of schools within Horsham]
The Horsham District Cycling Forum broadly supports this measure.
Dangerous and anti-social parking around schools in Horsham is a real problem. It puts children and others who are walking, cycling and scooting at direct risk of injury and blocks the pavements, which is inconvenient and dangerous, especially for the young, elderly, disabled and those with buggies. It leads to more parents driving their children to school because they feel it is unsafe to walk or cycle. This further increases the danger, air pollution and congestion. Not being able to walk and cycle to school reduces children’s independence both now and as they grow to adulthood and leads to lower activity levels, increased obesity and health problems.
The forum supports a TRO because other measures alone, including costly visits from enforcement officers, are not sufficient.
We support the use of legally enforceable (as opposed to non-enforceable) zig-zags.
We question whether the restrictions are sufficiently extensive in all locations. There may be some places where displacement leads to an increase in dangerous and anti-social parking in other places nearby. We hope that this will be monitored and, if any problems arise, that there will be prompt enforcement of the Highway Code and, if necessary, further restrictions.
We hope that WSCC will seek to maximise the benefit from the proposed TRO:
• How will this be introduced (priority enforcement /hotline /campaign /notices to parents and teachers) to ensure everyone understands and obeys from the outset?
• Will schools be considering which local parking places ARE acceptable as ‘park and stride’ locations and encouraging this? How will they ensure that those who really need to park nearby have priority?
• Will schools be encouraged/assisted to provide additional bike parking and additional safe waiting areas near the gates so parents cycling or on foot with toddlers on scooters and ride-ons, are safe and comfortable when they come to pick up/drop off children?
We draw officers’ attention to the current pilot scheme in Edinburgh where all motorised vehicles are excluded from the roads outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-34321010. We would like to see this considered locally.
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