First day back causes chaos at school gates

Traffic was brought to a halt outside the busy primary school on Thursday because of a car parked on a corner - blocking in a school bus.

A spokeswoman for East Renfrewshire council confirmed: “There was a car parked near Mearns Primary which caused an issue for a school bus. A small number of other cars were parked inappropriately.”

She added: “Back to school day is always a busier than usual time for schools, with additional family members coming along to see their children off to school.”

But one parent complains that the problem extends beyond a busy first day back.

He told The Extra: “The parking situation is ludicrous, and it gets worse year on year. The school send out reminders in newsletters but no one bats an eyelid.

“Stopping for drop offs are dangerous enough but the cars are abandoned at times. Parking on corners, zig zags, cycle lanes - you name it, it’s done.

“I pity the residents who live in the streets surrounding the school.”

The council representative responded: “From Monday, the school’s early entry system will restart, which means pupils can arrive from 8.45am. This staggers arrivals so will help alleviate any issues.

“We would urge parents and members of the public to park and drive responsibly and respect parking restrictions around schools. This is regularly highlighted in newsletters and our primary schools have road safety teams who work to get the message across.

“The safety of our children is a priority and we would ask everyone to work with us on this.”

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