Fining irresponsible parents would have dealt more effectively with traffic chaos outside a St Andrews school, it has been claimed.
As Fife Council approved a one-way system and double yellow lines in a street near private St Leonards School, one councillor suggested traffic wardens should be sent in instead when the local authority takes over parking enforcement next month.
Congestion in the narrow street, which already has single yellow lines, has infuriated residents in the nearby harbour area, who say it is worst at the start and end of the school day.
They claim that vehicles are weaving dangerously past parked cars and pedestrians while schoolchildren exit cars into the middle of the road.
The new measures were to cost £12,000, but the north-east Fife area committee ditched the most costly part of the scheme, a mini roundabout at the bottom arch.
Disagreeing with advice from transportation officers that there were traffic problems throughout the day, Mrs Taylor said: “The only time it’s congested is when parents are dropping off and picking up.
“They ignore the restrictions in place at present, so I fail to see what difference double yellow lines will make.
“Why don’t we make this the first job for the new Fife Council parking wardens?”
Parking tickets would be a better deterrent to “selfish” parking, she said and added: “The £12,000 would be better spent elsewhere, ie filling in potholes.”
Harbour residents collected more than 70 signatures on a petition against the one-way system, warning it would encourage motorists to go faster.
Greg Fraser, who has a house in Shorehead, said: “The only issue is parents parking in The Pends. If they park on the single yellow lines, they will park on the double yellow lines.”
A report by council technician engineer Gordon Hughes said introducing double yellow lines would remove ambiguity about single yellow lines.
The new traffic management scheme, which will include additional parking spaces, was supported by St Leonards School. Headmaster Dr Michael Carslaw said: “We hope that these measures which the council is implementing after considering the views of many individuals and local householders will help to alleviate congestion on The Pends and safeguard the safety of all road users.
“The school regularly asks parents to use The Pends with consideration for other road users and we will continue to do this.”