A CRASH involving a parent pushing a pram has sparked a fresh appeal to drivers dropping off and picking up their youngsters from school.

They are being asked to park legally and with more consideration after staff from Bury Council’s parking contractors NSL witnessed the incident earlier this month outside St Mary’s Primary School in Prestwich.

A driver who had parked on double yellow lines drove off and hit a parent crossing the road with a pram.

Council officials say they receive complaints almost every day from residents, headteachers and parents about inconsiderate parking.

They include incidents of double parking; blocking driveways; parking on zig-zag markings; blocking access for emergency vehicles; parking too close to the school crossing patrol, and parking on the pavement.

Road safety officers, in partnership with Greater Manchester Police, have recently launched the Safer Schools parking banner scheme.

This involves a “traffic light” system of green, yellow or red banners outside schools warning drivers to take more care.

More than half of the borough’s primary schools – 36 out of 64 – now support the scheme.

Jan Brabin, Bury’s senior road safety officer, said: “Schools have seen a positive reaction to the Safer Schools banners, but the success of the scheme ultimately depends on parents’ compliance. The road is a shared environment and we all need to be behave with more consideration.”

Cllr Tony Isherwood, cabinet member for environment, said: “Parents can help by parking further from school and walking the last part of their journey with their child.

“They can also park with more care for local residents and, if possible, it would also help if more journeys could be made on foot.”

Almost every primary and secondary school in Bury is on the additional parking enforcement attention list with NSL, but limited resources mean it is unrealistic for enforcement officers to be outside every school on a daily basis.

There has also been significant uniformed and plain clothes enforcement outside schools.

John Foudy, the council’s car parking manager, said: “It is sad that some people, knowing that enforcement cannot be a long-term solution, will park out of convenience above consideration for anyone else.”