Cars banned from near Edinburgh schools in trial

Roads within 300 metres of schools will be sealed off to traffic for 30 minutes before and after the start and end of the school day under the pioneering plans that have attracted more than a third of Capital primaries.

In total 31 schools had asked to take part in the pilot project which is set to come into force by the summer term of 2015.

Those chosen include Duddingston, St John’s, Abbeyhill, Colinton, Sciennes and Cramond, with Towerbank, St Peter’s, Clermiston, Bonaly and Buckstone to follow in a second phase.

The 18-month scheme will hand traffic wardens the power to turn away vehicles in nearby streets during the restricted hours.

It comes ten months after education chiefs in East Lothian banned cars from three roads leading to primary schools in Haddington – the first ban of its kind in Scotland.

Wardens will enforce the traffic restrictions by issuing a £50 fixed fine to those caught flouting the rules.

Under the plans, only permit and Blue Badge holders would be able to park outside the schools during the busy periods.

City transport convenor Cllr Lesley Hinds, said: “We were really delighted with the level of interest from schools right across Edinburgh so we wanted to make sure we rolled out the pilot scheme to as many school communities as we could. The next stage is to take the proposals out for consultation in each of the school communities, starting with the five sites (six schools) in Phase 1.”