At yesterday’s Worcestershire County Council meeting (18/05/2023) a motion by Greens and Independents asked me to carry out a number of actions relating to roads outside schools. I advised as follows:
1) I have already asked for the website to be updated to provide better guidance for the implementation of a ‘School Street’, which necessarily needs to be led by the schools, parents and communities.
2) Wherever a yellow zig-zig requires an updated Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) we will lay it. This has to be matched by a district-level commitment to enforcement however, otherwise we can lay all the TROs we like and it won’t solve anything. Only by working together can we make progress.
3) There is currently no known mechanism to make these flashing signs mandatory during school times only. Wherever we need to reduce a speed limits on a permanent basis for safety we will do so. I pointed out that speeding at school pick up and drop off times isn’t usually a problem as the area is so heavily congested (leading to people parking on zig-zags for instance!). Speed reduction requests can be made by a County Councillor.
Having addressed each point it was clear that there was nothing left for the Cabinet to decide, and so the motion was rendered effectively pointless – and was therefore rejected.
