Some Windsor parents are concerned with the safety of the kiss-and ride program at their childrens’ school.
Parents and caretakers at École Elémentaire Catholique Georges P. Vanier are now expected to drop off their students in the school parking lot - a location one parent says poses a danger.
Over a three day enforcement blitz last week, the City of Windsor issued 10 tickets to drivers dropping off students at the school, saying the vehicles were in a zone labelled no parking or stopping.
Jacqui Forsyth drops off her kids every day. She says parents are being told use this parking lot for drop offs and pickups - a location she say is not ideal for a kiss and ride program.
"There are little ones walking in the parking lot which makes me nervous as a driver," says Forsyth.
Officials with the City of Windsor disagree, describing the new system as "perfect."
Operations supervisor, Bill Kralovensky says congestion is the main cause. Residents in the area aren't able to get out of their driveway and school buses are being held up.
"It’s a loop system in that parking lot, teachers and helpers are there opening up the side doors,” says Kralovensky. “The child gets out, the driver carries on his marry way."
Joseph Picard is the Director of Education at the French Catholic Providence School Board. He believes the best alternative would be a bus bay - a lane cut into the school property to avoid the mix of cars and buses.
Picard says they made an application to the city a couple of years ago to get funding for a bus bay and the school is ranked as the number one priority amongst all four school boards.
Picard says he is hoping to hear soon if and when the city will allocate money for the project.
