School traffic jams nothing new | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

The dilemma of traffic jams around the entrances to Carterton School when people are dropping off and picking up children has been a headache for the school principal, Pat Gallagher, and his board of trustees for years.

Mr Gallagher says the latest issue where Tyne Street residents are calling on the Carterton District Council to do something practical about the traffic congestion in their street, which has the junior classes entrance, is another case in point that the school have a severe shortage of parking spaces.

However, while he has sympathy for the Tyne Street residents and makes every effort to keep onside with the school's neighbours, he said he will not respond to emotive and inaccurate statements hurled at district councillors.

Instead, he and board chairwoman Wendy Hemi are waiting for a formal approach from either the residents or the council.

Mr Gallagher said he is very aware of the residents' concerns but feels there is little that can be done practically until a formal complaint has come to the school or the board.

He produced a newsletter from the school asking parents for more care and consideration when delivering and picking up children and counted around 50 cars using Tyne Street within a 10-minute period.

The school also asked the council to paint parking lines in the street to help protect residents' driveways.

"All these things help a little but the crux is, there is just not enough room for all the cars," Mr Gallagher said.

He said the school roll had climbed to 360, the highest for the past 20 years.

Mrs Hemi agrees and feels it could be good ammunition for the board to be able to argue the case for finding more land for parking places to service the school and other amenities in the area including Carterton's Municipal Hall and several sports clubs.

In 1998, the school undertook a major rearrangement of its classrooms and, in conjunction with the Carterton District Council, created a parking area at the southern side of the school grounds. Mr Gallagher said this car park is on council land and therefore very much a public car park. He is hesitant to direct his teachers to use this, as it would simply inflate the problem of parking in that area.

"In a nutshell, we have parents who want to make sure their children are safely in the classroom in the morning and they want to collect them after school.

"Since the Coral Burrows incident in Featherston, parents are more anxious to ensure their children's safety and walking the streets, especially for very young children is not an option for them."