Safer School Streets Scheme extension

A successful scheme which encourages less driving to and from schools and more active forms of travel could be expanded to five further city communities.

Councillors will be asked to approve the promotion of a traffic regulation order and associated statutory consultation on extending the Safer School Streets initiative when the city development committee meets next week.

The introduction of restricting vehicle access during school start and finish times is proposed for Downfield Primary School; Craigiebarns Primary School; North East Campus (Longhaugh Primary School and St Francis Primary School); Coldside Campus (Rosebank Primary School and Our Lady’s Primary School); and St Andrew’s Primary School.

Mark Flynn convener of the city development committeesaid: “With Fintry PS coming on stream last year, adding to two previously long-standing schemes elsewhere in the city, we are keen to build on that success.

“Even with that progress we still have more car journeys around schools than the Scottish average but consulting on the next group of schools on the scheme’s implementation will help to change attitudes, the physical environment and other activity.

“The Safer Schools Streets initiative is firmly aimed at reducing congestion, improving road safety and having a positive impact on air quality.”

In September last year the scheme was brought in to the area around Fintry PS and has already seen more children walk, cycle and scoot to school.

In areas where the scheme is proposed there will be a part time prohibition of driving from Monday to Friday on school days from 8.30am to 9.15am, and 3pm to 3.30pm in streets around the five primary schools.

Residents of the school streets will be exempt from the prohibition of driving along with emergency vehicles and contracted taxis for school transport. All other vehicles will be subject to enforcement by Police Scotland.

A free permit to be displayed on the windscreen will identify residents’ vehicles, and will be available from Dundee City Council.

Due to the one-way roads leading from Ann Street on the periphery of the Coldside Campus School Streets zone, permit eligibility will be extended to residents of Forebank Road, Bonnybank Road, Forebank Street, Forebank Terrace, Powrie Place, Eadies Road and sections of Victoria Road where parking is to the rear of the property.

In a report to the city development committee on Monday (January 24) councillors will be told that a recent survey at Fintry PS showed that after the scheme was implemented there the percentage of pupils being driven to school reduced, with a similar increase in the percentage of those arriving at school via active travel.

Meanwhile early discussions have also taken place to further expand the scheme to nine more primary schools. Ardler & St Fergus Primary Schools; Barnhill Primary School; Claypotts Castle Primary School; Clepington Primary School; Craigowl Primary School; Eastern Primary School; Mill O Mains Primary School; St Ninians Primary School; and St Pius Primary School have been assessed as being within scope of the policy criteria.

Comparable measures have been in place at two other city primary schools for a number of years and active travel route improvements will continue to be developed at Dundee’s eight secondary schools as part of the School Travel Plans.

Dundee City Council

Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.

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