Cornwall Council will soon be using cars fitted with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to help tackle dangerous parking outside schools.
Civil Enforcement Officers will patrol schools across Cornwall in the Council’s three Mobile Enforcement Vehicles, which are each fitted with four ANPR cameras on the roof.
The Highway Code states that you must not wait or park, or stop to set down and pick up passengers, on school entrance markings.
When yellow zig-zags are accompanied by a sign indicating the hours of operation, it means that between those hours Civil Enforcement Officers have the power to issue motorists with Penalty Charges Notices (PCNs) for parking in the area.
The cameras attached to the Council’s Mobile Enforcement Vehicles record vehicles parked on school ‘keep clear’ zig-zags. The footage is then reviewed by a trained Civil Enforcement Officer and if it shows the vehicle is parked in contravention of the restrictions, a PCN will be sent to the registered keeper’s address. The driver who parked the vehicle will be ordered to pay a £70 charge.
Councillor Martyn Alvey, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for Public Protection, said: “We know that many parents have concerns about dangerous parking around schools and we hope this initiative will make drivers think twice before parking outside school entrances.
“‘Keep clear’ zones are there for a reason. When people park in these areas, there is a higher chance that a child could step out in front of a vehicle or not be seen by a passing driver. No one wants to see a child get hurt, or worse, and the Council will not hesitate to issue PCNs to drivers who put our children at risk.”
Press release issued on September 23