Yellow zig-zag lines outside schools to be reviewed and enforced

Markings outside Ellesmere Primary School

Shropshire Council is to carry out a review of the yellow zig-zag lines found outside schools across the county, to ensure that they comply with the law and that parking on the zig-zags can be enforced.

It follows a large number of complaints about irresponsible parking around school sites, and about parents parking on and blocking the zig zags (also known as ‘school keep clears’).

The review will be carried out in the coming weeks by WSP on behalf of the council.

Yellow zig-zag lines on the road are most often seen outside schools, but not all motorists realise that it’s illegal to park on yellow zig-zags at any time.

Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, said:

“This review will help to ensure safety of pupils outside school gates across the county by clamping down on illegal and dangerous parking. Once all the zig-zags have been checked and are compliant with the legalisation, we will put traffic regulation orders on each so that the restrictions can be enforced, and people issued with fixed penalty notices if they don’t comply.”

The Highway Code details places where motorists must not park, including near a school entrance. Parking outside a school is dangerous as it may obstruct visibility for parents and children trying to cross the road.