SNP MSP for Glasgow Shettleston Constituency, John Mason, has called on Glasgow City Council to consider exclusion zones for all vehicles around schools.  This follows the recent incident outside Garrowhill Primary School which apparently saw weapons brandished in front of children. John has written to the local council and you can see the letter here: 20170308162724721

Exclusion zones have been trialled in Haddington and in Edinburgh and have had extremely positive responses from the schools, police, parents and children involved. When it was implemented in Haddington the order banned vehicles from the streets around the areas of 3 primary schools from 8.30-9.30am and 3-4pm from Monday to Thursday and 8.30-9.30am and 11.45-12.45pm on Fridays. Haddington itself is currently in the process of attempting to make the traffic ban a permanent feature.

Commenting, John Mason MSP said:

“Firstly I express my considerable concern that children were subjected to seeing adults apparently having a go at each other in such a serious way.  For the minor inconvenience this traffic ban would cause parents, it would make life easier for those living near the school and, more importantly, it would increase the safety of children in the area massively. Garrowhill Primary School in my constituency has long had concerns about the amount of cars that flood the streets around the school at drop off and pick up time, with many parents believing it is only a matter of time before there is an injury or worse.

“Another suggestion would be a one way system and this might help traffic flow.  But it could increase traffic speed and that would not be a good thing.

“I am writing to the Council’s Education Department and to the relevant Government minister.  The Council previously looked at the idea and I am asking them to reconsider the need for traffic restrictions to be put in place.  If there is support for such a scheme in our area, I hope Glasgow City Council will see fit to make the roads safer for our children.”