Parents promote 'kiss and drop' zones

Woy Woy Public School P&C will promote the use of school "kiss and drop" zones at the annual State P&C Federation Conference in Sydney later this month.

Woy Woy P&C president Mr Mark Ellis said the drop-off and pick-up zones for parents would reduce illegal parking and provide better road safety for students.

"The agenda item seeks to lobby the Minister for Education and Training, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads to ensure that all schools have a 'Kiss and Drop Zone'.

"Woy Woy Public School has recently endeavoured to get a designated kiss and ride zone in Park Rd in front of the school to enhance safety and reduce illegal parking.

"The outcome was that the existing no parking zone was to be moved and be utilised as a kiss and ride zone.

"Drivers can legally stop there for three minutes to unload and load passengers from the kerb side.

"The driver is not to go further than three metres from the motor vehicle.

"This is a good start in providing an equitable solution that provides a safe road environment for all involved and we will see what comes of the kiss and ride motion from the conference."

Gosford Council's local traffic committee recommended the existing school bus zone and no parking zone on the southern side of Park Rd in Woy Woy be swapped as well as extending the school bus zone by 10 metres.

Council resolved to accept the committee's recommendation at its meeting on July 6.

"Woy Woy Public School and the P&C Association have written to council requesting that the existing no parking zone located immediately west of the school bus zone be swapped around to provide a boarding area for the school children closer to the school gate as buses park in the no parking zone eliminating parking for parents," a council report stated.

"During peak time, parents use the no parking zone to drop off and pick up their children, however the P&C have advised that especially in the afternoon peak, buses park in the no parking making it hard for parents to find legal parking.

"Busways has advised that buses to the school come down Victoria Rd and turn right into Park Rd, then use the no stopping zone as a lead in to the school bus zone.

"In order to improve equity for parking and to place the buses closer to the preferred access gate it is recommended that the existing school bus zone and the no parking zone on the southern side of Park Rd, Woy Woy, be swapped so the buses can drop off and pick up children closer to the school's preferred entry gate.

"Busways has no objection to swapping the two zones but has requested that the school bus zone be extended for an additional 10 metres."

Email, 10 Jul 2010 Mark Ellis, Woy Woy Public School P&C Council agenda TR.10.49, 6 Jul 2010