Glasgow City Council is trialling car free zones to improve road safety and reduce harmful emissions outside of six of the city’s primary schools.

The scheme will see temporary pedestrian areas created for limited periods in the morning and afternoon to help ensure pupils can arrive and leave school safely.

It follows a series of concerns such as poor and risky driving outside schools, obstructive parking that forces pupils on to the road, as well as issues created by congestion and harmful emissions.

Anyone driving within the temporary pedestrian zone will be at risk of enforcement action and a £50 fine.

‘There is a public demand from parents and residents to make sure children are as safe as possible when heading to and from school,’ said Cllr Chris Cunningham, city convenor for Education, Skills and Early Years.

‘A number of initiatives have already tried to clamp down on poor driver behaviour, but problems that put children at risk still persist. In the circumstances we have to go one step further to protect our children.

‘Car free zones outside schools can create safe spaces for young people at key points of the school day. The zones are being introduced on a trial basis and we will be looking very carefully at the evidence to see how effective they prove to be.’

Cllr Anna Richardson, city convenor for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, added that the pedestrian areas could help tackle childhood obesity.

‘We must ensure our young people are as active as possible as a way to tackle the ever increasing problem of childhood obesity,’ she said.

‘Creating a safer, more pleasant environment for children to walk and cycle to school can absolutely play a part in promoting a healthier lifestyle for young people.’