School wants council action to stop traffic chaos at gate

Chris Bascand said that “the eye of a needle” is created when a ford on Manuka Street is closed, meaning drivers make U-turns and jockey for space on the narrow roadway. The roadway is also a route to the Manuka Street Hospital. Cyclists are also part of the issue. In the afternoons, several hundred children are leaving school. Nelson Central School is nearby.

Staff step into the road with high-vis and flags to stop traffic and manage children crossing. But there have been confrontations and complaints have been laid with Police.

Mr Bascand said he would prefer not to file Police reports, but keeping children safe is the top priority. The school is calling on the Nelson City Council to act.

“If they widened the road, added dedicated drop-off parking and built a proper bridge, it would solve so many issues,” Mr Bascand said. “We just need the council to come down, see it for themselves and actually address it.”

But Nelson City Council infrastructure group manager Alec Louverdis said Manuka St was never designed to accommodate that level of traffic. A two-lane bridge at the ford was not financially viable and could worsen safety by attracting more through traffic. To create a new parking plan, traffic would likely need to be shifted further from the site.

In the past seven months, the council issued 56 parking tickets in the area. Two crashes were recorded near the Manuka/Tasman St roundabout in the past five years, but none outside the school.

The Council received a complaint in May from the school requesting enforcement and a few requests about parking on Manuka St.

“Council encourages the school to engage directly with parents about improving safety around the school,” Mr Louverdis said.

FULL STORY

Calls for action as traffic dangers mount outside Nelson schools (By Nina Hindmarsh/The Press)