Peak-time road closures around nine schools in Cambridgeshire as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In East Cambridgeshire St Mary Junior, Ely and Weatheralls primary in Soham have signed up to the scheme. And in Fenland, Wisbech St Mary Academy will be implementing the new measures.
Schools across Cambridgeshire were offered the chance to introduce closures around their entrances as part of a wider scheme of network changes in response to the pandemic.
The county council said that so far nine schools in Cambridgeshire have completed risk assessments and are training volunteers to introduce the measures.
Cllr Ian Bates, chairman of the highways and transport committee, said: “By closing a section of road for a short period at the beginning and the end of the school day, we will enable people to better adhere to social distancing guidelines.
“These measures can also have other benefits, including encouraging active travel, improved air quality around schools and safer roads for our children.”
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, said: “Traffic outside schools has long been a major issue. These new temporary schemes will be a good opportunity to test the impact of brief road closures around school drop off and pick up times.
“We will be watching with great interest to see how these schemes work.”
From September, schools in the county will be able to temporarily close one or more roads outside of their buildings to create a zone for pedestrians, bikes and scooters at the beginning and end of the school day.
The scheme is being set up as part of the government’s push to encourage social distancing and more active travel during the pandemic.
To implement each temporary closure, volunteers will put up barriers or signage, which are “likely to be around 50 metres either side of the entrance depending on the location and social distancing challenges of the site”.
The closure will be set up and taken down by the school each day,and will not affect weekends and school holidays.”
The changes are being enforced by a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.
Schools signed up so far are: Alconbury Primary; Barnabas Oley Primary in Great Gransden; Ely St Mary Junior; Hartford Junior in Huntingdon; Hatton Park Primary in Longstanton; St Phillips Primary in Cambridge, Weatheralls Primary in Soham, Willingham Primary and Wisbech St Mary Academy.
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