We can’t get out of our driveways as selfish parents block them on school run

SELFISH school run parents are blocking families from leaving their driveways, angry residents have fumed.

Dodgy parking is described as “out of control” outside Llanishen Fach Primary School in Rhiwbina, Cardiff – with some mums and dads even telling locals to “f*** off” when confronted.

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Dave Thomson, who has lived in the area for more than 50 years, described the “once pleasant suburb” as nothing more than “a car park”.

The 77-year-old says parents see it as “acceptable” to block drives and park on yellow lines at drop off and pick up times.

Dave, who is vice-chair of governors, said he has repeatedly clashed with foul-mouthed motorists after challenging them over where they leave their vehicles.

Rude responses have allegedly included “what’s it got to do with you?” and “f*** off”.

Dave told WalesOnline: “A guy had parked on double yellow lines on the corner, and you couldn’t see onto the main road, so I said, ‘can you move your car?’

“He told me to ‘f*** off’ and said, ‘what you going to do about it?’

“The minute you reply to that, you’re going to get in a confrontation and wind up in hospital, so the answer is to not retaliate.

“I didn’t respond but I felt my card was marked.”

The problem is now so common the area’s grass verges now resemble “ploughed fields”.

And some locals have become so fed up with inconsiderate drivers, they have allegedly put down rocks as a deterrent.

But on top of the annoyance for those living nearby, retired marketing director Dave reckons the cars parked on the corners of Heol Uchaf, Heol Lewis and other roads obstruct people’s view of the traffic, risking children’s safety.

He is now calling for wardens and a parking camera car to patrol the roads surrounding the school in the hope it will provide a much-needed threat of enforcement.

“The parents wouldn’t know what days they were coming and hopefully would start behaving themselves,” he said.

But even better, he says, would be if parents, who largely live within walking distance of the school, chose to get there by foot instead.

PARKING MAD

A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said parents are asked to park away from school gates and to avoid double yellow lines and grass verges.

They said: “The council is working with Llanishen Fach Primary School on its active travel plan and officers are due to meet the headteacher shortly to finalise that.

“If parents need to drop off or pick up their child by car, we ask them to park their car responsibly, away from the school gates and not on double yellow lines or on grass verges as it causes an obstruction and is a safety issue for school children.”

A Llanishen Fach spokesperson added: “The school works tirelessly with the whole school community to make the area safe for our families and we continue to work closely with the local authority to develop an active travel plan, which will ensure that we do everything we can to improve the health and wellbeing of pupils and to help reduce traffic related issues in the locality of the school.

“There have been no issues reported to the school or the governing body.

“Historically some concerns were raised, however over the last few years our school community have been outstanding in their support of a safe system during drop-off and pick-up times – an excellent example of school and community partnership working.”

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