School run drivers to be filmed and fined

Parents who block school gates with their cars while dropping off and picking up their children will be filmed on a mobile camera and fined, in a new scheme being piloted in Walsall.

The camera will be taken round schools in the town as part of the crackdown which follows scores of complaints about parents blocking up routes, school exits and people's driveways.

It will also target people who park on zig-zag lines, and over dropped kerbs, and motorists using bus lanes illegally.

The crackdown is expected to rake in up to £15,000 a year in fines and is expected to be fully operational by the start of next year.

Council leader Mike Bird said: "We have been asked to run it as pilot scheme and will be reporting back to the Government.

"We anticipate targeting people who are double parking, parking over drives, and using bus lanes.

"Unfortunately some people don't seem to care about others. We get weekly complaints from people who live by schools who are plagued by inconsiderate parents."

The mobile enforcement camera sits on top of a car. It will enable the council to gain evidence of anyone caught parking illegally.

Transport chief Councillor Tom Ansell said: "We are bringing in a mobile vehicle to act as a deterrent. We can record motorists when they break the law."

Council parking enforcement teams undertake routine patrols of school gate parking zones to deal with the issue. Tickets with a £70 fine are handed out to those who are seen breaking parking rules.

Some schools in the borough have taken their own steps to combat the problem.

Pupils at Whetstone Field Primary in Aldridge raised cash for four special warning signs and teachers and pupils carried out their own patrols during rush hour.