Camden New Journal - Letters: School run rules drive parents to distraction

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Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 10 May 2007

School run rules drive parents to distraction

• I HAVE been informed by our children’s headmistress that we will not receive a schools parking dispensation from Camden as of September 2007.
As it stands, permits have been cut by 60 per cent and I have not noticed any reduction in congestion.
More proof – as if the sane among us didn’t predict as much – that parents will continue to drive their children to and from school, permit or no permit, in the absence of safe alternatives.
I currently run a car share scheme with a neighbour. Between us we ferry our six primary school-aged children (three a-piece) on alternate days.
This works well with a permit but without one, and precious little pay and display parking near the two school buildings, we will have to stop this arrangement (it takes too long to safely shepherd six children in and out of school) and go solo. This means two cars on the road instead of one.
And yes, we do drive ‘large cars’: we have to in order to ferry so many children back and forth.
Camden council’s punitive scheme is a perfect example of taking one step forward and two steps back.
We all want child-friendly safety conscious solutions alongside a cut in congestion.
However, taking away school permits does the opposite by discouraging car-sharing and forcing parents into circling around schools.
A WRIGHT
Dartmouth Road, NW2

• I HAVE read with great interest the recent letters both for, and against, the removal of parents’ school parking permits (April 26, May 3).
I am a resident of West Hampstead whose daughter attends a school in Swiss Cottage. Currently we are not eligible for a parking permit.
We walk her to school as often as we can and she is normally collected by bus. Inevitably, there are times when we need to use our car to drive to school and, when we do, we must run the gauntlet of Camden parking attendants.
Surely the proposed scratch card scheme would be fairest for all. It would encourage those who drive every day to try regular alternatives, it would allow those of us who do not drive every day to park legally when we do, and it should encourage more car sharing as the permits would not be car specific.
NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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