Traffic ban outside six Edinburgh primary schools

A traffic ban is being imposed around six Edinburgh primary schools at drop-off and pick-up times.

The council-run pilot scheme will see cars banned from streets outside the schools for an hour at the beginning and end of each day for 18 months.

An exclusion zone for cars will be set up outside Abbeyhill, Duddingston, Colinton, Cramond and St John's RC primary schools from Tuesday.

Sciennes primary will introduce a traffic ban in October.

Edinburgh City Council has said the aim of the scheme is to create a safer, more pleasant environment and to encourage children to walk and cycle to school.

It also said the scheme would have an impact on congestion and pollution levels.

The School Streets project follows a similar trial that took place in East Lothian last year.

The Edinburgh schools were chosen after reporting road safety issues with cars parking too close to the school gates.

The scheme will run for 18 months before a decision is taken over whether to roll it out elsewhere in the city.

Sharon McGhee, acting headteacher at Colinton Primary School, said: "The whole idea behind it is we reduce the level of traffic that comes near the school entrances.

"We are hoping if we do that, children and their families will scoot, cycle or walk to school and it will make it safer for them to enter school.

"People haven't been hurt here at Colinton Primary, however, it gets very congested in the mornings."

Isla, a pupil at Colinton Primary School, said: "I think the new system is really good because it is reducing the cars coming down here so it's a lot safer to come to school."

A parent with children at Colinton Primary School said: "I think it's going to be absolutely fantastic because there are a lot of cars.

"I think because the parents are stressed they forget the kids are going to school."

Another parent said: "It should be worth it, I think the people who live further away will be a little bit more disappointed when the weather gets bad again but as far as children go it's a great scheme."