Unnecessary congestion

One of the comps near us has a drive in drive out area for drop off and pick up it is used by some in the morning, (unless they think they may mean being held up on the way out )if in direction of travel!!,but not if it means turning across traffic?but in in the afternoon they would rather stop on the road outside to wait as they think it will hold them up if going inside

but isn't that a sign of the times everyone is in such a rush we notice it most when returning home from abroad, we got off the ferry in November at Portsmouth and it was like Brans Hatch, why!  it was lovely once we got back home again.

We try not to use the car when at home,because everyone is in such a hurry,we tend to travel by Bus or Train,and when travelling by bus it is so noticeable what the drivers have to put up with as no one will give way to a bus,there is a junction near us that is at times difficult to exit,I will always let the bus out and have on several occassions had following vehicles sound their horns or other forms of displeasure,as it might hold them up a couple of seconds

We have four schools on the same site, nursery, infant, junior and senior.  With the exception of the nursery these schools have been there for more than 50 years, each one of them has increased in size.  There are roads on either side of the site and the infant and junior school have a large roundabout inside the site area, this is packed with cars on either side of the road at least one hour BEFORE the schools finish.  What a waste of a person's time on collection duty.  The congestion is unbelievable and despite zig zag lines and school entrance all over the road those collecting children ignore them.

I walked mine to and from school, I was lucky I didn't have to work so didn't need to be anywhere at a set time after dropping them off.  This was always a social time, with children and parent chatting together and as they became more independent the place I met them gradually got further from the school get until they came home by themselves.  It's a very different world these days.  Just as it was when mine were smaller compared to when I was.

I have to agree with Tammygirl everyone here seems to be in a such a rush all the time.  I'm not sure we gain anything, apart from indegistion and the likes , from the speed we live our lives.

There are some schools where the councils have brought in a restricted access area around schools. Access only for residents with passes regulated by passes.parents have to walk their kids into school.

Parking ib residential streets is similar. You can have three or four cars parked on one side of the road but rather than park the same side and walk across, some plonker will park opposite the parked cars slightly offset creating a giant slalom course.

What I find interesting is the general acceptance of the need to take children to school by car. My feeling is that to save society a £1 in schooling costs, it is actually costing us far more in other costs. The difference is in the accounting.

If school buses were reintroduced, congestion could be reduced. Time, money and pollution could be saved. (And lazy people could become even lazier.)

What I find interesting is the general acceptance of the need to take children to school by car. My feeling is that to save society a £1 in schooling costs, it is actually costing us far more in other costs. The difference is in the accounting.

If school buses were reintroduced, congestion could be reduced. Time, money and pollution could be saved. (And lazy people could become even lazier.)

To a certain extent it will be a bout budgets.  School buses would hit councils, probably I don't know now as not all schools are council run.  That in turn would hit council tax or income tax citizens moaning about high taxes   Driving your own car means the cost falls on the individual.  Also if the government want both parents to work there are time elements and the parent would need to take the car if their child needs accompanying to school as there is could be insufficent time to walk and return and then take the car if that's necessary.  Also instead of going to your local school you have a choice of where to send them, assuming that they get in.  Certainly in our area the schools a FULL and there have been cases where parents have to get 3 children to 3 different schools in various directions.  I hold my hands and and say I don't know how it can be solved.  Budgets are king these days

Indeed, I think Accountants have a lot to answer for. Good management is about more than financial matters, yet the ‘bottom line’ seems to be all that matters these days. 

Any system that result in three children having to attend three different schools is flawed.

Our secondary school has a good bus service, and still there is total congestion due to those that chose to use the car in preference. Add to that adapted vehicles for those with disabilities and taxis, a few bike riders and those walking and it is a wonder there are not many accidents. With some lateral thinking, the school has now created a turning circle for the buses within the school complex so students can get on or off safely away from the cars. However, there has to be two members of staff to stop the cars using it!!