School Street restrictions - Signage Regulations?

jimjames

Our local council has been rolling out what they call "School Streets" which restrict access to certain roads outside schools during specific hours. Controlled by cameras which will generate fines for any vehicles accessing these roads within the specified hours. As yet another sign amongst a myriad of other street furniture they're not the easiest to see at the best of times but the latest one has been implemented on a crossroad junctions.

Signage is incredibly poor, maybe deliberately to catch more motorists, but I'm interested to know what the legal requirements are for signs enforcing such an area. Surely if there is a crossroads junction at the start of the zone the signs have to be visible and actually facing in the direction of traffic in every direction? There is a single sign only visible from one direction as it's parallel to the direction of travel for vehicles travelling across the junction or turning left/right into the zone. The sign is only facing the traffic driving in the direction of the zone. If you are turning you are only seeing the sign edge on.

Is there any requirement to have signs visible from every direction and facing the driver? Signs on both sides of the road to cover a vehicle parking and blocking the view? Again the sign is on the opposite side of road to the traffic and no signs on the same side.

molerat

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-streets-how-to-set-up-and-manage-a-scheme/school-streets-how-to-set-up-and-manage-a-scheme      I would have thought there should be no left / right turn with an exception plate / supplementary time plate as appropriate.

MouldyOldDough

What about people who actually live in the street by the school - are they banned from driving their cars in/out of the area ?

And what about disabled blue badge holders ?

Am I missing something here ?

unforeseen

MouldyOldDough said:

What about people who actually live in the street by the school - are they banned from driving their cars in/out of the area ?

And what about disabled blue badge holders ?

Am I missing something here ?

It's covered in the link that Molerat supplied

facade

Is there any way to force my Council to make my road a School Street?

It would be paradise.

Imagine actually being able to get out during those 2 hours a day.

(Yes I know- it is my fault for living near a school, you should never buy a house by a school, or in a "quiet cul-de-sac", but it wasn't A Big Problem until covid. Post covid suddenly everyone has the time to park up a full hour before school gets out (presumably they are "working from home" inside their cars) making the road virtually impassible, blocking drives and belching out diesel fumes.)

Obviously it would make it Someone Else's Problem, but by definition, it would no longer be mine!

jimjames

MouldyOldDough said:

What about people who actually live in the street by the school - are they banned from driving their cars in/out of the area ?

And what about disabled blue badge holders ?

Am I missing something here ?

Yes people who live in the affected roads can apply for permits to be able to drive in/out during those hours but not for any visitors or family. So my daughter is unable to drive to drop off the grandchildren after school as she doesn't qualify for a permit. Liveried delivery drivers are exempt but that doesn't cover a lot of drivers that have unmarked vehicles. There are a number of roads that are entirely within the zone and have no other means of access even though their road is not adjacent to the schools. 
It's the entrapment that is the most frustrating thing as the signage is so inadequate to cover the directions that vehicles will approach from. It can't be right that the only sign is edge on and parallel to the driver.

born_again

This is one I go past.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gt221pvCjbPY2QTV7

jimjames

born_again said:

This is one I go past.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gt221pvCjbPY2QTV7

That's not great either if there is no sign on the main road before that turning

MouldyOldDough

How do they actually enforce this new rule ?

Scary Signs, CCTV cameras or police presence ?

facade

MouldyOldDough said:

How do they actually enforce this new rule ?

Scary Signs, CCTV cameras or police presence ?

Cameras, the same as bus lanes, yellow box junctions etc.  No reason why they shouldn't be ANPR cameras, that check the VRN against a permit database, and then store the relevant footage.

chrisw

MouldyOldDough said:

How do they actually enforce this new rule ?

Scary Signs, CCTV cameras or police presence ?

They've put one in near me and at the relevant times, someone (presumably a teacher?) goes out and puts those red and white workmen type barriers across the road and takes them in again afterwards.