Parents are being hit with fines for using an empty layby to drop off and pick up their children from school, causing anger from the residents.
Fines have been handed out to local residents and parents for parking in an area frequently used by people during the school run in Swindon.
An empty layby at the side of Drakes Way has become a parking hotspot for parents of children going to a local primary school.
The lane was previously a slip road that connected a residential street to a three-lane carriageway but is now out of usage.
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The layby has been blocked by a large concrete pillar
GOOGLE MAPS
Maps and images show that a large concrete bollard has been placed in the way where drivers could previously drive into the side road.
Locals are now warning that anyone caught parking in the layby at the start or end of the school day could face a penalty fine.
Vinbert Pereira is now calling on other drivers to be aware of the fines after his wife fell victim to a fine, the Swindon Advertiser reported.
He said: “It gets very busy near the school and there is nowhere else for us to park nearby, so this could be used as a proper drop-off and pick-up point.
The layby is popular with parents picking their children up from a nearby school
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"When parents park outside the houses off Drakes Way, the people living there come out and shout at them, which is fair enough because they are blocking the driveways.”
The 39-year-old said that there are no signs or road markings to suggest that people cannot stop or park in the unused layby. He added: "It's totally unfair."
He described the layby as being “safely out of the way of traffic”, although a parking warden is in attendance for people stopping “for just five minutes”.
When Pereira’s wife appealed the fine, the council highlighted the “no parking at any time” sign in Bromley Close, situated off Queens Drive.
The “no parking” signs are not visible from the layby where parents would be dropping their children off.
A spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council clarified that it does not comment on individual parking charge notices.
If there is an issue, the Borough Council instructs drivers to lodge an appeal and follow the process on its website to further their case.
The spokesperson added: “If the resident is still unhappy with the outcome, there are further steps they can take which will have been outlined to them in the response.
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The 'no parking' signs near Queens Drive
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“Drakes Way is a clearway, meaning cars are not legally allowed to park on it at any time. We’re reviewing the road to make sure the signage is clear and consistent for motorists,” the spokesperson told the Swindon Advertiser.
