Primary mums’ parking slated

Jan 29 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

Primary mums’ parking slated

PARENTS who drop off and pick up their children at Bothwell Primary School were this week accused of inconsiderate parking.

Neighbouring residents said they were fed up with the “tunnel vision” of mums on the school run who park without regard to the inconvenience caused to other motorists or the safety of pedestrians.

One neighbour claimed that as many as 60 cars could be parked on Blantyre Road and another 40 on Castle Avenue at peak times.

And a Gailes Park resident said the amount of traffic on Castle Avenue and Blantyre Road around 9am and 3pm means that other motorists find it almost impossible to use the route.

“Mothers in their cars tend to congregate around 8.45am to 9.30am and again at 2.30pm to 3.15pm. It’s sheer pandemonium,” he said.

“It has got to the stage where people living in the area are going to Uddingston Cross and driving back from there to get to their destination.

“There’s also the important issue of road safety. Visibility for children and drivers is dreadful with the amount of vehicles on the road.

“It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

“The parents don’t seem to care about anything except picking up their children. Grass verges nearby are often churned up by their vehicles.”

Residents added that with work on a new Bothwell Primary School about to begin and pupils being decanted to a school in Hamilton meantime it was time to address the issue.

“It has been going on for years. Some have tried to get something done about it before but have been forced to give up out of sheer frustration,” said the resident.

“In a lot of cases these trips to the school in the car are unnecessary. Parents and children are travelling by car when they are within easy walking distance. It’s not as if they have to come from the far side of the village.”

Bothwell councillor Jim McGuigan said concerned residents had contacted him about the issue and he and colleagues Maureen Devlin and Henry Mitchell were trying to set up a meeting with education and roads officials to discuss the matter.

Off-street parking within the school grounds and lay-by parking on Blantyre Road had been suggested as possible solutions to the problem.

Parking within the school grounds, however, could rule out a community play area planned for the site.

Mr McGuigan added: “We’d like to revisit plans for the school site in order to look at a pick up and drop off point for parents which would be separate to the entrance and exit point for pupils.

“I would also be loath to lose the play area. Unfortunately what is proposed at the moment doesn’t go far enough given the number of vehicles involved.”

A South Lanarkshire Council spokesman said this week that the new school would be built on the site it currently occupies.

He added: “The schools modernisation team are working with the roads department to identify possible solutions to cut congestion arising from parents parking on Blantyre Road and Castle Avenue.”