Campaign rewards perfect parkers

Christchurch City Council parking wardens have received high praise in their role as enforcers of the Chaos at the School Gate pilots.

The pilot projects were set up at two schools — Wainoni and St Albans — in May and June, to encourage “perfect parkers” outside the school gates.

The pilots were run by the City Council in partnership with schools to encourage parents to park responsibly, further away, and walk with their children to school rather than illegally parking at the gate, causing traffic chaos and putting other children at risk.

Parking wardens gave away spot prizes to “perfect parkers” or issued infringement tickets to those who continued to park illegally while the school educated the children on traffic safety and sent newsletters home to parents explaining the pilot.

Wainoni School teacher Justine Wright says the parking wardens were “excellent” with both the children and parents getting to know them well. “Their public relations skills have been most impressive. It has been quite amazing watching the difference in the behaviour and attitudes of the parents,” Ms Wright says.

The children had also become very knowledgeable and had started reminding each other when someone had done something wrong near the road.

“Overall, I am rapt with the way things have gone, and I think the (parking) wardens are pretty happy also,” says Ms Wright.

St Albans School also reported major behaviour changes with parents opting to park at the English Park carpark and walking through to pick up their children.

The City Council will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that people do not revert to old bad habits.