Cars have now been banned outside of six Birmingham primary schools in a proposition to make it safer for children to walk to school and to reduce traffic congestion.
Car Free School Streets is a ground-breaking initiative to fundamentally reduce crowding on school roads and encourage parents to collect their children on foot. The project also hopes to make it safer for children to cycle to school as well.
Car Free School Streets has been launched during events in participating schools, beginning with Featherstone Primary School, in Erdington.
The second part of the launch event was held during an afternoon of sports activities at Cofton Primary School in West Heath.
Birmingham City Council is trailing the initiative’s progress with six schools for the duration of the 2019/20 academic year, throughout July 2020.
Residents living on the streets affected will be issued with permits to access their properties. There will also be some other exceptions, including blue badge holders and emergency services. Anyone else driving in the restricted zone at these times can be issued with a Penalty charge of £50.
Waseem Zaffar, who is the councillor and the cabinet member for transport and environment at Birmingham city council, said: “Car Free School Streets are going to put children and families first, making it safer for them to walk or cycle to and return from school, while also helping to reduce air pollution”.
He also mentioned that air pollution is a significant problem in Birmingham and the school gate is a location where we are particularly exposed. As a father of young children himself, he knows that he cannot merely stand by and do nothing. Although this is a trial scheme, in the long-term Waseem wants every school in the city to be a clean air haven for our children.
By Tauseef Asif
