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Parking patrols worked

I READ the recent SA article (December 4) about tickets being issued to car owners parked dangerously near to school entrances in parts of Swindon.

Without doubt, some motorists are putting adults/children at risk of danger by their ignorance and selfishness attitude to safety.

Enforcement and fines are the only way to stop inconsiderate parents/guardians from parking where they want.

Hit them in the pocket and hopefully they’ll soon learn and change their habits.

Near me is an infant school and it was a real problem until double yellow lines were put down.

It helped immensely but still some motorists felt the lines didn’t apply to them. I contacted my local council. Give credit where credit is due, they arranged patrols and parking tickets were issued.

I’m pleased to say that it’s had a real positive effect.

The school entrance is now clear of dangerously-parked cars which benefits everyone.

Both the parents/guardians and children are getting more exercise by having to walk further to get to the school.

This will, along with other personal measures, help reduce adult and child obesity. It’s a win-win situation all round.

Alan Wilson, Shapwick Close, Nythe

Meandering along

I DON’T really know quite what’s going on with our highway planners?

I see in the SA (December 4), Gary Sumner saying the new road at Eastern Villages will ‘meander through’ the houses. Have they learned nothing?

I imagine it will ‘meander through’ Lotmead in the way Redhouse Way ‘meanders through’ Redhouse or ‘meander through’ Lotmead in the way Purton Road ‘meanders through’ Ridgeway Farm estate?

When Bradley’s built Haydonleigh and Woodhall, they put a proper road in, partially lined with trees and planting, with sensible vertically segregated crossings and bridges, mini roundabouts and ensured generally only the rear of houses abutted the road.

But from the northern development onwards, engineers decided to build ‘meandering roads’ on the basis they discourage car use, car parking and car journeys. Did it work? You decide.

And please don’t start me on public transport. At the Tadpole planning stage the developer Crest Nicholson waxed lyrical about the “Tadpole Flyer”, and what do we have now in reality? A 15-year-old Stagecoach bus, mostly empty, rattling its way along Cricklade Road and every dwelling on Tadpole having at least three cars!

Unless you have viable planned destinations, mass transit simply doesn’t offer the flexibility citizens today demand.

I fully understand the theory but they should have noticed in the last fuel crisis, people were queueing for miles at petrol stations and putting car fuel before even eating properly in some cases.

The council highway boys only need to encourage garages where you can’t open the car doors when inside, put in zillions of traffic lights to brighten Siemens’ day, legislate no parking spaces or worse two spaces for five bedroom homes, and close sensible access roads making them bus gates, diverting thousands of cars through residential streets ie Casterbridge Road... and their glorious highway protocol will once again rule resplendent.

Anyway at least councillor Gary Sumner is “ecstatic”.

John Stooke, Haydon End