Parents are fighting fines which they say have been issued on "the longest bus stop in England". Families taking their children to and from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School say they are at risk of being fined every day.
They say there is no parking nearby and a bus stop outside the main gates is "big enough for three buses". Several have said they have picked up parking tickets for leaving their vehicles on either the bus stop or the double yellow lines on the other side of the road.
One dad has told how he has already been fined three times within months and with nowhere else to park there could be more ahead. Emmanuel Jack, 47, says he has even considered moving his three children to a different school because of the problem.
Mr Jack said: “I’m scared of how many fines I will actually get – my children still have years left at the school. I feel like I’m at risk every day and that can’t be right. I’ve been fined three times – how long will this go on? I can’t deal with this for such a long time.
“There’s a bus stop that’s very long. To be honest I can’t believe how long it is – you could get three buses on it. If that was reduced there would be space. What makes matters worse is there are about three abandoned cars by the side of the bus stop. They’ve been there for months.
“But apart from that there is nowhere else to park. I travel from Mackworth so I have to drive. If we go on the bus there will have to be two bus rides and then a three-minute walk afterwards – that’s too much for a school journey.”
Parents have now sent a letter to Derby City Council bosses urging the authority to allow parents a parking time window or to reduce the length of a long bus stop next to the main school gates to allow more parking space. They also want the council to cancel recent parking fines.
A camera is installed close by to monitor traffic offences. One parent said he knows of seven parking fines issued to parents in recent weeks. Around nine parents have signed the letter and some say walking to school is not possible as they travel from different parts of the city.
They also claim it is impossible to park on surrounding streets instead, due to them being filled with cars or because a permit is needed to park on them. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) visited Mill Hill Lane on Tuesday morning to investigate the parents’ concerns. During the visit, four or five drivers were seen parked on double-yellow lines when dropping off their children.
Parent, Chinedu Nwarize, told the LDR how he had received a parking fine recently while taking his three children to school and said something needs sorting. He said: “I was fined in June and I’m not happy about it.
"This is very costly and not needed – everything is going up so this is the last thing I need. Life is not easy at the moment. It’s unfair we get fined when there are no parking spaces for the school.
“It must be the longest bus stop in England. It must hold three buses at one time – it’s way too long. Reduce it and allow some space for parents.”
A Derby City Council spokesperson said requests for changes should be made to the area’s neighbourhood board but added changes were previously made to improve road safety. The council could not say if the fines received by parents would be cancelled.
They said: “Restrictions were put in place as a result of a public consultation and are designed to improve safety around the school gate areas. Anyone who wishes to contest a PCN (Penalty Charge Notice) should follow the legal procedure outlined in the correspondence they receive. Each case is considered on its own merits.
“Requests for changes to the restrictions can be brought to the neighbourhood board, where the community and locally elected councillors can decide whether reviewing the restrictions and potential changes are a priority.”
Tracey Churchill, head teacher at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, added: “We do everything we can to support our parents and carers with the parking situation, which is difficult as we are situated in a residential area. We do offer a drop-off system for the older children to relieve pressure on parking at the front of the school and to reduce traffic on Mill Hill Lane.”
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