School Run Nightmare

FOUR-year-old Carla Yates narrowly escaped being knocked down by a driver who mounted the pavement outside her home.

It was the final straw for Carla s mother Barbara, of Rectory Gardens, who, along with other residents, has had to put up with years of reckless driving and parking by people dropping off and picking up their children from Broadwater C of E first and middle School.

We were going to the shops. We had just stepped out of our gate onto the pavement and a car mounted the curb and came right alongside us on the pavement, just missing Carla.

It s not going to be long before a child gets seriously injured, or even killed, and it shouldn t get to that stage, said Barbara.

Residents have been in school on a number of occasions to complain about the worsening problem but the school said it can only request in newsletters that parents park responsibly.

I have personally been on the phone to get traffic wardens up but it s a nightmare, said Barbara.

The drivers can be quite abusive as well. They block the entrances and exits and if you ask them to move they can be quite rude, some of them literally tell you where to go.

It s a ridiculous situation.

Residents have even paid for signs to be put up to stop drivers parking over the entrance of their private garages but Barbara says they have just been ignored.

It can take me longer to get up this road than to get all the way to Sompting to pick my daughter up, said Barbara.

For the full story, see the Herald, July 26.