Traffic-Free Schools
Introduction and background
A Traffic-Free Schools pilot project is being introduced at four schools across East Dunbartonshire as the Council delivers on its commitment to improve road safety and encourage active travel at primary schools, as set out within the Parking Management Plan, approved in 2022.
Traffic-Free Schools is an initiative where sections of road immediately outside the entrance to schools are subject to prohibition of driving restrictions for a short time at the start and end of the school day. This can improve safety by reducing the volume of vehicles parked and moving around at the busiest areas for children and adults accessing the school. It can also make places more attractive for walking, wheeling and cycling, encouraging more journeys to be made in this way.
The pilot project will begin on 20 November 2023 and will run until 20 December 2024. This will allow a suitable period for the project to bed in and its effectiveness to be properly monitored.
You can find more information on the Parking Development Plan web page.
Benefits of the Traffic-Free Schools
The core objectives of this project are to improve road safety and the surrounding environment outside schools for pupils, carers and neighbouring residents. By restricting the street during set times, it will help to create a safer and more pleasant environment for children and parents alike.
By reducing the access to the street during the core times, this could result in the following benefits for the core school drop off / pick up times:
- An increase in road safety and a reduction in the volume of traffic
- An increase in walking, cycling and wheeling to schools
- Improvements in air quality and noise pollution.
Pilot scheme
Since the Parking Management Plan was approved, the Council has been conducting a robust school selection process to identify suitable school locations to be included in a pilot project. View our Parking Management Plan webpage. Following this selection process, the below locations have been selected for the pilot scheme:
Clober Primary School, Milngavie
- Kirk Street
- Craigielea Crescent (from its junction with Kirk Street to its junction with Ashburn Road)
Craighead Primary School, Milton of Campsie
- Craighead Road
- Craighead Avenue
- School Lane
St. Matthew’s Primary School and Wester Cleddens Primary School, Bishopbriggs
- Park Road (from its junction with Hillside Drive to its junction with Birnam Avenue)
Restriction Arrangements
An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order will be used to prohibit driving on the relevant roads at each school between 08.30 - 09.15 and 14.30 - 15.15, Monday to Friday, during school term time.
Access will be maintained at all times for permit holders, blue-badge holders and permitted vehicles.
Those permitted access include:
- Permit holders – permits will only be issued to households and businesses within the road restriction zone. All households and businesses who will be affected by this project are being contacted directly.
- Emergency permits will be available to school staff to allow for any necessary movement within the times of operation.
- Emergency services, doctors on call, district nurses, carers and support workers.
- School buses and school transport serving the school (including school contract taxis).
- Blue badge holders.
- All postal and delivery vehicles.
- Council vehicles, e.g., refuse vehicles and statutory undertakers (utility companies) serving properties within the affected zone.
- All vehicles being used in connection with weddings or funerals”
If a person driving a vehicle not covered by the above exemption enters the restricted zone during the restricted period, then they will be committing an offence. An offence such as this would be enforced by Police Scotland who may issue a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice.
Existing parking restrictions within the zone remain unaffected and may still be subject to enforcement action from the Council.
Further information and contact details
To discuss any part of this project further, you can contact the Traffic and Transport team by email at TrafficFreeSchools@eastdunbarton.gov.uk or by phoning 0300 123 4510 and asking to speak to the Traffic and Transport team.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Background
The pilot project will introduce prohibition of driving restrictions on sections of road immediately outside the entrance to four primary schools, for a short time, at the start and end of the school day.
- Clober Primary School, Milngavie
- Craighead Primary School, Milton of Campsie
- St. Matthew’s Primary School, Bishopbriggs
- Wester Cleddens Primary School, Bishopbriggs.
Clober Primary School
- Kirk Street
- Craigielea Crescent (from its junction with Kirk Street to its junction with Ashburn Road).
Craighead Primary School
- Craighead Road
- Craighead Avenue
- School Lane.
St. Matthew’s Primary School and Wester Cleddens Primary School
- Park Road (from its junction with Hillside Drive to its junction with Birnam Avenue).
The pilot project is an action within the Council’s Parking Management Plan (PMP), which was approved in 2022. The action supports the schools’ policies within the PMP, including the Schools Access Hierarchy which promotes journeys to be made to / from school by walking, wheeling and cycling then public transport / school bus, then park and stride (where pupils are driven part of the way then make the final part of the journey on foot), and then finally by driving and parking safely around schools.
The action was subject to consultation during the Draft PMP consultation, with two-thirds of respondents supportive of the principle of the project.
It is intended that the pilot project will improve road safety and air quality in the immediate vicinity of schools at the beginning and end of the school day as well as making the areas more attractive for journeys to be made by active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling).
The pilot project will begin on 20 November 2023 and will run until 20 December 2024. This will allow a suitable period for the project to bed in and its effectiveness to be properly monitored.
Operation
The restrictions will be in place at the following times on Monday-Friday during term time:
- 08:30 – 09:15
- 14:30 – 15:15
Yes. The restrictions are only in place from Monday-Friday, so weekends are not affected. The restrictions will not be enforced on days when the school is closed, e.g., holiday periods, in-service days and any potential election days.
Signs showing details of the restrictions will be located at all relevant boundaries of the zone.
Yes. The existing restrictions remain unchanged and may still be subject to enforcement action from the Council if a contravention is observed.
No. The roads will not be physically restricted as access will still be maintained for those who are exempt.
- Permit holders (including local residents and business owners)
- Emergency services, doctors on call, district nurses, carers and support workers
- School buses and school transport serving the school (including school contract taxis)
- Blue badge holders
- All postal and delivery vehicles
- Council vehicles, e.g., refuse vehicles and statutory undertakers (utility companies) serving properties within the affected area
- Vehicles to be used in connection with wedding and funeral operations
- All vehicles being used in connection with weddings or funerals.
An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) will be used to introduce these restrictions. As the name suggests, this allows a local authority to make an ETRO on a temporary basis to experiment an intervention. This can provide an opportunity to use a more streamlined process to understand the effectiveness of an intervention prior to any decision to make it permanent.
Yes, providing your permit is on full display. Further information on the permit scheme and how to get one is provided below.
If a person driving a vehicle not covered by the above exemption enters the prohibited area during the restricted period, then they will be committing an offence. An offence such as this would be enforced by Police Scotland who may issue a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice if such a contravention is observed.
If you are not exempt, you should plan ahead and consider either using another mode of travel, travelling at a different time, or using a different route to ensure you are not driving in the affected area during the times of operation.
No. Enforcement is a matter for Police Scotland. It would not be the responsibility of the Council’s Community Safety team to enforce this restriction.
Permit scheme
Permit holders who display their permit within their vehicle will be exempt from the restrictions and therefore able to drive their vehicle within the zone during times of operation.
All residents of households and owners of businesses located within the zone will be eligible to use a permit.
All households and businesses within the zone will automatically receive one permit. This will be sent directly to your house / business.
No, the permit is linked to your address but can be used for multiple vehicles as long as it is on display at the time of the vehicle being driven within the zone.
Yes, you can apply for additional permits by emailing TrafficFreeSchools@eastdunbarton.gov.uk and providing your details.
The permit allows you to drive within the zone in which you reside.
No. The permit does not allow you to drive within the zone of any other schools included in the pilot. It does also not provide any exemptions to parking restrictions either within or outwith the zone.
The permit will be valid for as long as the pilot project is in operation.
No. The permit is only applicable to residents of the household to which it was allocated.
There will be no charge for receiving the initial permit or for applying for additional permits.
No. Emergency permits will be available to school staff to allow for any necessary movement within the times of operation.
Please email: TrafficFreeSchools@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
General
All pilot school locations and communities were subject to monitoring prior to the project start. This included surveys of traffic levels and parking, as well as surveys asking school communities, including local residents, about their attitudes to travel and parking issues in the school vicinity. This will be revisited during the project to inform monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot project.
Any future decision beyond the pilot project will be informed by the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot project.
It is anticipated that traffic and parking levels may increase in streets surrounding the zone. However, in the interests of road safety, the aim of the project is to remove the most significant volume of vehicle traffic and inconsiderate parking behaviours from the area most heavily used by adult and children pedestrians, i.e., directly outside school gates. The intention is that this will make these roads safer for all non-motorised users, encouraging more journeys to be made by alternative means, reducing the effect of vehicle traffic on the wider area.
Please visit the Council’s webpage for information on walking, wheeling and cycling. The website includes maps, route planners, cycle training and maintenance, bike rental facilities and much more.
Any future decision beyond the pilot project will be informed by the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the pilot project. Should you have any comments on the pilot project or suggestions about possible future locations please get in touch at: TrafficFreeSchools@eastdunbarton.gov.uk