Parents picking up their children from schools around Tauranga are being asked not to park in pick-up and drop-off zones, or on yellow lines, due to safety concerns.

Parents are overstaying their welcome in drop-off and pick-up zones around Tauranga schools.

Michelle Herring is concerned about the safety of her children at Papamoa Primary School after six cars were left in the five minute parking zone – leaving parents with nowhere to drop their children.

'There were six cars left parked there this morning meaning that people were parking wherever to drop their kids off,” says Michelle.

'This puts other kids at risk – what a great example.”

The school's deputy principal, Jen Whitehead, says this is a problem and parents need to be aware of the risks involved in parking on yellow lines.

'This is about the safety of the kids,” says Jen.

'We have areas marked where children cross.

'Parking on yellow lines increases the risk of hitting a child while reversing because the driver can't see behind them – or a child may run out across the street.”

The school has allocated parking spaces, but Jen says parents are continuing to park on the yellow lines.

'Parents need to be respectful of other parents dropping their children off, every child is precious.”

Jen says the school has put up five minute parking signs and has enforcement officers checking vehicles and issuing tickets, yet it is continuing to be a problem.

'Parents know they are not supposed to park there, but it still happens.”

At Tauranga Primary School on 5th Avenue, principal Jenny McNicol is also concerned about the safety of pupils as parents continue to double park on yellow lines around the school's five entrances.

'We are forever moving people along,” says Jenny.

'We do have five minute zones, but unfortunately people park there and get out of their cars.

'People won't park further down the road, they want to park right outside.”

Located on a busy stretch of Cameron Road, Jenny says the major problem for Tauranga Primary School is that the city has grown so much it has reduced the space available for parents to park.

'The city has closed in on us. The roads around us are all marked for all-day parking, taken by people working in the area, this is an extra problem.

'It is not helped by people leaving their cars in spaces marked as five minute zones all day.”

Jenny says there are teachers patrolling entrances and walking children to other sides of the road, but there is still the risk of a child running out in front of a car.

Tauranga City Council's Travel Safe operates seven different programmes aimed at creating safer travel around local schools and coordinator Karen Smith says the team is working with individual schools, principals, staff and senior students to promote awareness.

'We are out there visiting individual schools a few times a week, working with senior staff and students to create a management plan,” says Karen.

'Each school has its own issues; changes are happening.”

The programme takes a proactive approach, but Karen says parents still tend to park in the wrong areas.

'Parents, and caregivers, just don't think as they are in a rush.

'They will park on yellow lines and grass verges when there are other members of the community to consider.

'We want people to think about safer alternatives like walking buses.”

As part of the enforcement programme, police and the council's parking team are out patrolling local schools in the afternoons.