A COACH company fear it will take ‘someone being killed’ before their concerns about stopping restrictions are heard.
Many of Kenilworth-based Ridley’s Coaches’ contracts are for local schools but the firm has been issued with a number of penalty notices by Coventry County Council for stopping outside schools in the city – even though teachers have asked them to.
Coach drivers argue they have to stop on yellow zig zag lines to pick up pupils going on school trips as there is nowhere else safe to stop no with so many cars parked on the roads.
Spokesman Nigel Harris told the Observer: “As a company we are very concerned about where we drop off and collect children from schools in Coventry. This is becoming a major problem for us and other coach companies in the area.
“The teachers request we pick up outside the school gates which is where the restrictions are, as with most schools everywhere else is surrounded by parked cars so the alternative is to stop in the middle of the road blocking it which obviously isn’t acceptable.
“It will take someone to be seriously injured or killed before something is done about this, The council need to realise the safest place for a coach or bus to collect and drop children is as close to or outside the school gate.”
But the council say the restrictions are there to keep children safe and that Ridley’s should stop elsewhere.
A spokeswoman said: “Yellow zig-zag lines outside schools indicate ‘No Stopping’ during the drop-off and pick-up times on Monday to Fridays throughout the school terms by any vehicles.
“The restrictions are there for a reason – to keep children safe.”
