Parking at the school on New Road in Ennis

kiwipower

I just dont det it..
That junior school on New Road, where all the caring parents, park all over the footpaths, putting their little Johnny&Mary, and everyone elses little johnny's& Mary's lives at risk!!! (not to mention Anyone else TRYING to use the footpaths in the area!)

There is a big empty carpark at the County Council building 100metres up the road.
Why are they not made to park there and walk the child to and from the school gates?

Much safer for everyone!

Grrrr

Lady Chatterton

I agree with you but no matter where you live, drop off and collection times at schools are normally chaos.

Mornings seem to be worse as parents are often running late or anxious to drop their kids off quickly so they can be in time for work, so maybe that's why very few are interested in walking anywhere.

Of course there will always people who have a "because I'm worth it" attitude and will double park at the school gate or just make a nuisance of themselves, all because their Johnny and Mary might have to suffer the hardship of walking a short distance or have to carry an umbrella.

kiwipower

I was carefully driving passed the school today, doing about 10km/hr, when a child of about 5 ran out from between to parked 4wheeldrives. Not a chance that I could see them untill they where in the middle of the road! Extremely lucky I didn’t hit her!

I think it would be preferable to be a "bit late" to school than a "bit late" to the hospital!

It should be enforced by the schools and town parking enforcement. There is absolutely no need for it! So many of the parents are getting to schools extra early JUST to get the closest footpath to park on!!!!

But this school in particular is exceptionally bad, when there is near empty parking lot just down the road!

About time the school board and the County Council came up with an arrangement and FORCED it on irresponsible parents!

Carry

He he, I used to live in that street, a long time ago. Rented the place during the summer holidays, thought it was a lovely street, so quiet and green - came September I was murderous. Ignorant mammies chatting away with running engines of their giant cars beneath my bedroom window, shouting occasionally to hurry up the little ones, parking in my driveway and the kids throwing wrappers in my garden.
I phantasized about having a Kalashnikov and just shoot them all!

Christmas was the worst when the lollipop man decided, it would be festive to blare christmas carrols throughout the street with his little stereo, in the morning and then when the kids were picked up again.

Gosh, I'm glad to live in the middle of nowhere now! The only rather rare noise is from tractors and cattle.

Lady Chatterton

My child attends a small country school and in fairness to the board of management they arranged for some expert to come to school to observe school drop offs and collections, he then came up with a safe traffic management plan for the school but despite this the school has to text or write to parents every four to six weeks to remind them of their responsiblities. I'd say only about 60% of parents are actually following the school regulations :mad:

Lady Chatterton

Carry wrote: »

He he, I used to live in that street, a long time ago. Rented the place during the summer holidays, thought it was a lovely street, so quiet and green - came September I was murderous.

Christmas was the worst when the lollipop man decided, it would be festive to blare christmas carrols throughout the street with his little stereo, in the morning and then when the kids were picked up again.

LOL I think that is hilarious !!!!

Lady Chatterton

kiwipower wrote: »

About time the school board and the County Council came up with an arrangement and FORCED it on irresponsible parents!

There could be issues there from a public liability insurance perspective, why would the council expose themselves to high risk claims?? I couldn't see the council agreeing to it in a million years.

dr.fuzzenstein

MrsD007 wrote: »

There could be issues there from a public liability insurance perspective, why would the council expose themselves to high risk claims?? I couldn't see the council agreeing to it in a million years.

Don't see the problem?
Paint double yellows for a couple of hundred meters before and after the school and have two to three wardens hand out tickets like there's no tomorrow, it works at the COM in the absolute middle of nowhere.
If people got ticketed every single time they abandoned their mammywagons there would probably be outcry, hand wringing (my poor little Johnny is going to get wet!), protests, letters, calls to Joe Duffy, but if that can be ignored as white noise long enough, people could eventually be educated to respect the bloody rules of the road.

Lady Chatterton

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Don't see the problem?
Paint double yellows for a couple of hundred meters before and after the school and have two to three wardens hand out tickets like there's no tomorrow, it works at the COM in the absolute middle of nowhere.
If people got ticketed every single time they abandoned their mammywagons there would probably be outcry, hand wringing (my poor little Johnny is going to get wet!), protests, letters, calls to Joe Duffy, but if that can be ignored as white noise long enough, people could eventually be educated to respect the bloody rules of the road.

The OP was suggesting that Clare Co Co and the school should come to agreement re: parents parking in the County Council parking spots, I was responding to this suggestion, I can't see why the council would agree to it as it could expose them to insurance claims.

As for the double yellow lines, that is a good idea in theory but my understanding is that there are no traffic wardens on duty in Ennis before 9am.

CptSternn

It is mad and the council should do something. Then again, ever drive down the road there between the Texaco at Flannans and the train station during the day? Cars parked on the double yellows as far as the eyes can see. Trucks having to wait to move past all the illegally parked cars.

It has been this way for years and no one has done anything. I don't see them making any effort to sort this out either as it too would require making voters angry and as we all know the council loves to do nothing as to not disturb the status quo.

kiwipower

MrsD007 wrote: »

There could be issues there from a public liability insurance perspective, why would the council expose themselves to high risk claims?? I couldn't see the council agreeing to it in a million years.

I would expect that as the parking area I am talking about is connected to a public building, that their public liability insurances would not be effected.

On the same note what is the effect on the schools and town councils public liability insurance when the status quoi is allowed to remain in place?

W am trying to be proactive and offer a safer alternative to the status quoi in the hope that someone from the Board of Management or the Parent Council, may see this thread and come up with same safety initiatives for the sake of the lives of their school children.

dr.fuzzenstein

MrsD007 wrote: »

The OP was suggesting that Clare Co Co and the school should come to agreement re: parents parking in the County Council parking spots, I was responding to this suggestion, I can't see why the council would agree to it as it could expose them to insurance claims.

As for the double yellow lines, that is a good idea in theory but my understanding is that there are no traffic wardens on duty in Ennis before 9am.

I see, makes sense.
As for any kind of action being taken, not optimistic.
As for the insurance excuse: That one always gets wheeled out for anything, it's better than saying can't be arsed/wouldn't dream of doing anything for anyone even if it doesn't cost me a penny/wouldn't give anyone steam of my piss/nothing in it for me so take a hike, etc...
For the same reason Ennis didn't have a St Patrick's parade for years.
It's like the story from a legal department where the standard answer to any question was "should I read the proposal, or should I just say "no" now?"
In short, if anything is to be done, it's better to just go ahead and do it, because if you ask the shysters and beancounters, the answer will always be no.

Lady Chatterton

kiwipower wrote: »

I would expect that as the parking area I am talking about is connected to a public building, that their public liability insurances would not be effected.

Yes, the parking area at Clare Co. Co. would have public liability insurance but the existing cover is meant to cover the council against claims by employees, contractors or people using the carpark for council business.

If the council was to enter into a formal arrangement with the board of managment to allow parents to use the carpark every morning, the council's policy would have to be amended to reflect the increased risk. I can't see the council getting involved, there is nothing in it for them, only an increased insurance premium and hassle.

kiwipower wrote: »

On the same note what is the effect on the schools and town councils public liability insurance when the status quoi is allowed to remain in place

Nothing! The school is only responsible for the school grounds, they can't be held liable for what happens on the public road.

As for the council, they are only are responsible if for example: they carry out road repairs and leave the road in a danger state and someone has an accident as a result of council negligence.

W am trying to be proactive and offer a safer alternative to the status quoi in the hope that someone from the Board of Management or the Parent Council, may see this thread and come up with same safety initiatives for the sake of the lives of their school children.

I genuinely admire what you are trying to do, I'm only trying to make you aware of the crap you are up against

Lady Chatterton

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

As for the insurance excuse: That one always gets wheeled out for anything, it's better than saying can't be arsed/wouldn't dream of doing anything for anyone even if it doesn't cost me a penny/wouldn't give anyone steam of my piss/nothing in it for me so take a hike, etc...

I couldn't agree with you more!

kiwipower

Unfortunately Im not from County Clare, I just happened to spend a good proportion of the last year working in Ennis near the new road area. I see the council carpark at less than half capacity most week days. Then get frustrated when trying to either walk or drive passed the school near bell time.

It is a pure serious accident waiting to happen, (for all I know may have already happened! )

I would have thought parents would be more concerned about the safety of their own children and that the school would prefer to have something in place to protect the children, BEFORE it becomes an issue of having to provide wheelchair access for an injured child OR bereavement counselling for a school full of children. Especially considering below statistics:

Child (0-14 Years Old) Road Casualties
1997 – 2006

Overview

Over the ten year period, 1997-2006, 198 children (0-14 years old) have been killed on our roads. An
additional 855 children were seriously injured.
43 per cent of child casualties killed in the period 1997 to 2006 were pedestrians.

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Road%20Safety/Crash%20Stats/rsa_CHILD_report.pdf

Appologies but these are the most recent statistics available from the RSA website

cynder

Must say its chaos at school time, there is also NO lolly pop lady to cross children over the road to the clare co. co. also there are 700 kids at that school, also the garda are them most afternoons stopping people parking in the school car park (even though it only holds a handful of cars. The garda would prefer the cars to park on double yellows and you wont get a ticket.

dr.fuzzenstein

grindelwald wrote: »

Must say its chaos at school time, there is also NO lolly pop lady to cross children over the road to the clare co. co. also there are 700 kids at that school, also the garda are them most afternoons stopping people parking in the school car park (even though it only holds a handful of cars. The garda would prefer the cars to park on double yellows and you wont get a ticket.

Why oh why do you think the school is trying to move? Parking and childrens safety is a big issue/

Because the attitude here is "If I do nothing and anything happens, I'm safe since I'm not involved. If I try to do something and anything happens, my neck is on the line, so better not to stick your neck out, do nothing and you're safe".
Since the people involved in the decision making process are unaccountable and can't be fired in any case, I can only wonder why to take such a stance. Other than laziness, I don't see a reason.

Lady Chatterton

kiwipower wrote: »

I would have thought parents would be more concerned about the safety of their own children and that the school would prefer to have something in place to protect the children, BEFORE it becomes an issue of having to provide wheelchair access for an injured child OR bereavement counselling for a school full of children.

I'm in complete agreement with you but unfortunately, there are some parents that are too lazy to do the correct thing, these are the very same people who would be the first blame the school and everyone else if their child was injured. As I said earlier in this thread, my child's school went to great effort to get a proper traffic management protocol in place but a sizeable group of parents couldn't be bothered adhering to it :mad:

Just a small thing on wheelchair access, most schools these days have or should have wheelchair access anyway. It is important that children/teachers with disabilities have full access to school buildings.

Lady Chatterton

grindelwald wrote: »

Why oh why do you think the school is trying to move? Parking and childrens safety is a big issue/

Is the school on the New Road trying to move to another site?

kiwipower

MrsD007 wrote: »

I'm in complete agreement with you but unfortunately, there are some parents that are too lazy to do the correct thing, these are the very same people who would be the first blame the school and everyone else if their child was injured. As I said earlier in this thread, my child's school went to great effort to get a proper traffic management protocol in place but a sizeable group of parents couldn't be bothered adhering to it :mad:

Just a small thing on wheelchair access, most schools these days have or should have wheelchair access anyway. It is important that children/teachers with disabilities have full access to school buildings.

Agreed!

I was just trying to use wheelchair access to highlight the point about risks of serious injury to children.

I applaued your schools attempt to improve child safety. Hopefully a few traffic wardens/Garda backing the school up would drive the point home in a "fine" way? :P

Failing that maybe the school could raise some much needed funds by Clamping parents who dont comply?? :eek:

Lady Chatterton

kiwipower wrote: »

Failing that maybe the school could raise some much needed funds by Clamping parents who dont comply?? :eek:

:eek::eek::eek:

No board of management would do it! :D You have to remember that most schools are heavily reliant on voluntary contributions and fundraising efforts so they need to keep parents on side.

Have you approached the school principal with you concerns?

kiwipower

No I havent been near the school, I actually don't even know the name of the school.
I know it is poor of me, coming on here and venting first.
Especially when it is not the only school in the country facing this problem.
Like I say Im not from Clare, I just happened to be working alot round the area over the last year. Hopefully a fantastic Ennis citizen will take this idea on board and get somewhere with it?

cynder

Would you believe I got the wrong school, your on about the CBS, still the only reason most use that road is to go to school or the council.

I got my wires crossed thought you were on about the ennis national which is worse than the CBS, they are looking for a new school, traffic there at bell time is deadly.

Lady Chatterton

grindelwald wrote: »

Would you believe I got the wrong school, your on about the CBS, still the only reason most use that road is to go to school or the council.

I got my wires crossed thought you were on about the ennis national which is worse than the CBS, they are looking for a new school, traffic there at bell time is deadly.

Grindelward - I thought that the BNS Ennis National School were building opposite O'Sullivan & Hansbury's Garage? Has that not gone ahead?


Edit: I'm showing my age, the last time I lived in Ennis, Ennis National was called the Boys National and Gary Stack was Principal, I presume he has retired now :D

alibride

no matter what you do people will still be ignorant towards health and safety.
i used to come home that way in the evenings - just after study finished, cars on both sides of the road so very hard to pass or people pulled up in the middle of the road, while the car park beside dev (infront of fair green) would be empty!! why cant parents get off the road into the car park and wait for kids!! at least that way parents could see the kids and vice versa, none of this pulling up in the middle of the road thing
wrecked my head!! thank god i live out the country now .....

Clareman

I thought they were starting very soon for the new school, in fact I was talking to someone about it when I was in voting in the presidential elections. The traffic at the Ennis National School, it'll always be the Boys National to me even though my niece goes there, is far better now than it used to be, people park up on the footpaths, the traffic warden is up a bit, any time that I've passed in the recent past there's never been an issue.

angelfire9

My eldest attends the CBS and with the current number of pupils is 621
Ennis National for ye're information has 628!
The building project for Ennis NS appears to be on the back burner even though they have a site allocated & the entrance road is even done no idea what is going on there

The CBS have been campaigning quietly for years to be allowed to build a new school on the current grounds if they got the permission the current buildings & prefabs could be removed and limited car parking would be available
There are no funds available unfortunately
My eldest is in a classroom this year that was built before the famine :eek:
Yet the department of education deems it suitable for kids
Part of their school building is not wheelchair accessible (the oldest block)
Fire exits and external stairs were only added to the old building in 2009 following a health & safety audit

Yes parking is a problem
And yes there is chaos on the road most days (particularly when it is wet)
Yes the traffic warden & the Gardai issue tickets to idiots that double park and block access
Yes there are double yellow lines on both sides of the road but where pray tell are parents supposed to park to pick up their kids?
The council car park is for parking on county council buildings not picking up kids from the school down the road there would be uproar if parents started using it for that!

To be honest I think as a parent who actually has a child at that school that parking is the least of its problems :mad:

cynder

My lady's in 6th class in the ennis national, the new school has a new road going up to a lovely green field. No building work has started. They were supposed to start work last year but they changed the plans for bigger changing rooms, that set the plans back by a year as they had to go through the whole process again, they were supposed to start building in sept but things have not progressed. Their heating failed 2 weeks ago and there was a gas leak all kids were evacuated.

The traffic lights are deadly cars block other cars in the yellow box, some ejit drivers try to turn into schools car park and block both sides of the road until they can get in and they cant because no cars are moving, then you have mothers who open out their car doors fully without looking to see if a cars coming, some cars try and double park, it's chaos sometimes...

Don't know the exact amount of kids in the school but have 3 classes per year except j.infants this year they only have 2 classes.


Mr stack left a while back (thankfully) Halloween 2 years back.....

cynder

I vote at the CBS and it reaks of damp, same as the ennis national. The clothes, books and hair come back stinking of damp, however the prefabs are fine...

angelfire9

grindelwald wrote: »

I vote at the CBS and it reaks of damp, same as the ennis national. The clothes, books and hair come back stinking of damp, however the prefabs are fine...

The problem with prefabs (and the CBS have 12 of them) is that they are like ovens in the summer and freezers in winter
Then again the room Katie has this year is like a freezer already and the weather isn't truly cold yet

kiwipower

angelfire9 wrote: »

Yes there are double yellow lines on both sides of the road but where pray tell are parents supposed to park to pick up their kids?

Somewhere that it is legal to park, safe for the children entering and exiting the vehicle.

angelfire9 wrote: »

The council car park is for parking on county council buildings not picking up kids from the school down the road there would be uproar if parents started using it for that!

To be honest I think as a parent who actually has a child at that school that parking is the least of its problems :mad:

Has anyone approached the CC to see if it would be possible to use this PUBLIC BUILDING parking space, for dropping children off as a SAFE alternative to parking on the footpaths and double yellow lines? Or is it just assumption (excuse) that this would not be possible?

I very much appreciate the conserns about the state of school buildings, and very much agree that it is a great failure of the Irish "Celtic Tiger" that we could build everything and everything but not build modern, safe, functional schools and hospitals.

I still wonder would road safety, parking still be considered the least of parents problems when I child walking on the road around vehicles parked on the footpath is run over? As from what I can see at this school it is a case of WHEN a child will be hit. Not a case of IF a child will be hit.

Lady Chatterton

Kiwipower - I really admire what you are trying to achieve here but I beginning to think that it might be more appropriate for you to write to the school's principal/board of management outlining your concerns, while also putting forward your proposals to improve the safety of pupils at school start and finish times. I'm sure that such a letter would be taken very seriously by any school board.

babygirlz

angelfire9 wrote: »

My eldest attends the CBS and with the current number of pupils is 621
Ennis National for ye're information has 628!
The building project for Ennis NS appears to be on the back burner even though they have a site allocated & the entrance road is even done no idea what is going on there

The CBS have been campaigning quietly for years to be allowed to build a new school on the current grounds if they got the permission the current buildings & prefabs could be removed and limited car parking would be available
There are no funds available unfortunately
My eldest is in a classroom this year that was built before the famine :eek:
Yet the department of education deems it suitable for kids
Part of their school building is not wheelchair accessible (the oldest block)
Fire exits and external stairs were only added to the old building in 2009 following a health & safety audit

Yes parking is a problem
And yes there is chaos on the road most days (particularly when it is wet)
Yes the traffic warden & the Gardai issue tickets to idiots that double park and block access
Yes there are double yellow lines on both sides of the road but where pray tell are parents supposed to park to pick up their kids?
The council car park is for parking on county council buildings not picking up kids from the school down the road there would be uproar if parents started using it for that!

To be honest I think as a parent who actually has a child at that school that parking is the least of its problems :mad:

Well said Angelfire9.

I too have a child at this school, parking is a nightmare but do you honestly think we, the so called irresponsible parents are happy with the current parking arrangements at the school?

I am sure this school is one of many in this country with no such parking arrangements for the parents.

In actual fact the busy times at the school are 8.45am-9.10am, 1.30pm-1.50pm and 2.30pm-2.50pm, so I am sure many of the residents are understanding to the needs of the parents during those times.

Kiwipower have you children who attend a school?

I would suggest if it worries you, you should do as MrsdD007 suggests. That may help sort it out for all of us.

kiwipower

babygirlz wrote: »

Well said Angelfire9.

I too have a child at this school, parking is a nightmare but do you honestly think we, the so called irresponsible parents are happy with the current parking arrangements at the school?

I am sure this school is one of many in this country with no such parking arrangements for the parents.

In actual fact the busy times at the school are 8.45am-9.10am, 1.30pm-1.50pm and 2.30pm-2.50pm, so I am sure many of the residents are understanding to the needs of the parents during those times.

Kiwipower have you children who attend a school?

I would suggest if it worries you, you should do as MrsdD007 suggests. That may help sort it out for all of us.

A I said before, no I am not from County Claire, but I have been working on New Road a lot over the last year. Having to both walk or drive passed the school during busy bell times.

I have been:

1. nearly run over myself trying to walk around cars blocking the footpaths.
2. nearly knocked off a push bike by someone opening their car door while parked on the footpath, forcing me out across the centre line of the road into the path of another vehicle pulling out onto the road from the opposite footpath where they had also been illegally parked, on the footpath, contra-flow on the right hand side of the road.
3. nearly hit a child with my car that came out from between to four wheel drives parked on the footpath making it impossible to see the said child.

I have previously, worked in many A&E departments where children hit by vehicles have been brought in severly injured. I still also have vivid memory from age 5 of a classmate being hit by a car and being thrown in the air following the impact.

As I have no physical connection with the school or town, (I have been working on a tempory contract commuting in from another part of the country.) I was hoping that one of the carring parents of the school that are on Boards, may look at the suggestion I have put forward, and follow it up with the school management etc to see if it could provide greater safety for children.

Lady Chatterton

kiwipower wrote: »

A I said before, no I am not from County Claire, but I have been working on New Road a lot over the last year. Having to both walk or drive passed the school during busy bell times.

I have been:

1. nearly run over myself trying to walk around cars blocking the footpaths.
2. nearly knocked off a push bike by someone opening their car door while parked on the footpath, forcing me out across the centre line of the road into the path of another vehicle pulling out onto the road from the opposite footpath where they had also been illegally parked, on the footpath, contra-flow on the right hand side of the road.
3. nearly hit a child with my car that came out from between to four wheel drives parked on the footpath making it impossible to see the said child.

I have previously, worked in many A&E departments where children hit by vehicles have been brought in severly injured. I still also have vivid memory from age 5 of a classmate being hit by a car and being thrown in the air following the impact.

As I have no physical connection with the school or town, (I have been working on a tempory contract commuting in from another part of the country.) I was hoping that one of the carring parents of the school that are on Boards, may look at the suggestion I have put forward, and follow it up with the school management etc to see if it could provide greater safety for children.

Kiwipower, I think this is a cop out on your part, you have spent time and energy posting your concerns here when I believe you should have first addressed your concerns with the school.

You are someone who is using the road on a daily basis and you are being affected by the school traffic situation so that gives you as much right to raise it with the school as anyone else. In fact, I think a school board may even take more notice of someone like you, you would perhaps be seen as being more objective than a parent.

kiwipower

Fair point MrsD007,
I will take it on board.