Torbay parents "putting children's lives in danger"

Councillor criticises illegal parking

A Torbay councillor has criticised adults for putting children’s lives at risk outside schools.

Councillor Cordelia Law (Lib Dems, Tormohun), cabinet member for children’s services, said she was “shocked” to discover the council’s enforcement team issued 1,274 tickets last year to vehicles parked on zigzag and double yellow lines on roads outside schools in the Bay.

“That is 1,274 times that adults, often parents, have chosen to knowingly put children’s lives in danger,” said Cllr Law. 

“That equates to 31 potential fatalities outside of schools every week of term.”

Cllr Cordelia Law is shocked at state of parking near schools

The council has a limited enforcement team, meaning the actual number of offences is likely to be higher. Torbay’s road safety officer was cut some years ago as part of austerity measures under the Conservatives. 

Cllr Law was speaking at a meeting of Torbay Council’s cabinet, where a £30,000 road safety campaign is being considered as part of the council’s new budget. 

If the budget is approved by councillors, the money will be spent on a new campaign with a focus on road safety outside schools.

“It’s an absolute no-brainer that we take action to raise awareness and change people’s habits” Cllr Law concluded.

The move follows an incident in November last year where 11-year-old Emica Loralie Jackson-Miller died three weeks after being hit by a car while walking home from school.