CALLS for more parking spaces for parents of children at Osborne Primary School in Mount Martha have been rejected, with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council calling for parents to “obey the rules”.
A recent concentration by council parking officers around the school has parents seeing red, after 19 were fined in one day for illegal parking and other traffic violations.
Connor Foster said it was “unfair” of the council to target parents, with some drivers fined more than once, at around $219 a fine.
“Our main interest is the safety of our children,” he said.
Foster says there needs to be more drop off and pick up car parks in Dunns Road, with the shortage causing parents to queue to be able to safely drop their children at school.
He said drivers were being fined as they waited in line for a drop-off spot to become available.
“But while you are waiting to move into a parking space, and sometimes it is literally just seconds, the parking inspector drives past and snaps you. It is causing enormous stress for parents.”
Foster said the lack of drop-and-go parking spaces also meant the Craigie and Dunns roads roundabout was always blocked.
“I’m sure residents would not be happy, either”.
The mayor Cr Simon Brooks said parking officers patrolled school zones to keep children safe and ensure nearby residents were not impacted by drivers doing the wrong thing. “Patrols are often carried out in response to complaints we’ve received,” he said.
“Our parking officers have only patrolled Osborne Primary once during term four, on 13 October. There were 19 drivers fined for offences such as parking in a No Stopping area, parking across a driveway and double parking,” he said.
“As far as I’m aware, no council anywhere gives notice of when parking inspectors are going to be active. We expect motorists to obey the road rules at all times, not just when they think an inspector will be there.
“There is no need for council to advocate for more parking at the school as there is a substantial amount of legal parking available along Craigie and Dunns roads. We ask parents to consider parking here and walking the short distance to the school. This would make the situation safer for all involved.”
First published in the Mornington News – 12 December 2023
