A group of concerned parents, including one who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed frustration over new parking restrictions near Caulfield Grammar School in Melbourne. They believe the process of dropping off and picking up their children should not be as time-consuming and inconvenient as it currently is. Parents, grandparents, and caregivers are struggling to find parking spots, often having to park blocks away from the school to drop off or pick up their children. This poses a challenge for busy working parents and elderly individuals who are assisting families with drop-off and pick-up responsibilities.
The City of Stonnington implemented changes to parking restrictions near Caulfield Grammar School, Sacre Coeur, and Korowa as a trial for six months in an effort to alleviate congestion and parking issues during peak school times. The council engaged with all three schools and residents to gather feedback and input before making these changes. Sacre Coeur and Korowa each had their own concerns about traffic and parking, with Sacre Coeur warning parents about the upcoming changes via email. The council received feedback from residents suggesting that permit-zone restrictions during drop-off and pick-up times would be beneficial to reduce excessive demand on the street system.
Caulfield Grammar, on the other hand, expressed a preference for a one-way flow system rather than the implemented parking restrictions. They argued that this system would be more restrictive for residents and proposed offering pick-up and drop-off points within the school site to alleviate congestion on residential streets. Principal Ashleigh Martin emphasized the importance of student, staff, and community safety, expressing concerns about the increased risks associated with the new traffic and pedestrian flow near the school. The school hopes to engage with the City of Stonnington to explore alternate traffic management solutions as soon as possible.
Data collected in July revealed that private schools in the eastern suburbs, including Caulfield Grammar, experienced congested drop-off and pick-up zones in Melbourne. Simone Reilly, the head of Caulfield Grammar’s Malvern campus, indicated that the school community had been advocating for solutions to traffic congestion in the area. After bus routes on certain avenues were diverted at the school’s request, there was some relief in traffic pressure. Despite these measures, parents and school officials continue to urge the City of Stonnington to address the traffic issues near schools promptly to ensure the safety and efficiency of drop-off and pick-up processes.
