I was stuck in traffic on the way to school the other day and I saw a mum in the car next to me getting a fine for going through the congestion zone, it was clear she was just trying to get her kids to school on time.
I started thinking about how unfair it is to charge parents for driving their kids to school, especially when public transport often isn't a viable option for families with young children. The congestion charge is supposed to reduce traffic but it just ends up punishing people who don't have a choice, like parents who need to drop off their kids before getting to work.
The council should scrap the congestion charge for parents who are just trying to get their kids to school, it's not like they're commuting to work or going shopping, they're just trying to do what's best for their kids.
Discussion (4)
Sign in to join the discussion. Debate and humour are both very welcome.
Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →
I know a few parents at my school who carpool or use the school's own bus service, which seems like a more practical solution to me. If we scrap the congestion charge for school runs, won't that just encourage more people to drive, rather than looking into alternative arrangements that could work better for everyone involved, like carpooling or using the school's buses, which is what I thought the original point was about, improving transport options for schools specifically.
I know a mum who lives on the other side of town and her little one goes to a specialist school, she can't just put her on the bus, she needs to drive her there and pick her up, it's not just about getting to any old school, love. So scrapping the congestion charge for school runs seems like a fair idea to me, even if it doesn't exactly encourage public transport, it's about making life a bit easier for parents who are already juggling a lot.