I get regular “feedback” about vehicle movements and parking on Oxgangs Road North. It is important that this is addressed due to there being entrances to  four schools over a 340m stretch of road. The Council have responded to these concerns in the first instance by reviewing the movement of vehicles they control along the road. A briefing on this is below. 

 

I have taken a wider look at the transport issues surrounding the Oxgangs Road North area with a view to analysing the services who receive children and adults utilising “assisted transport”.

The following services make use of a combination of Council provision, externally contracted and taxi provision:

1. Milestone – Waverly Care
2. Oxgangs Primary – (Additional Support for Learning)
3. Firhill High School – (Additional Support for Learning)
4. Braidburn School – (Additional Support Needs)

There is also additional Council, external and taxi provision picking up people who attend adult social care and ASN Schools in other parts of the city at (impacting on Oxgangs Road North):

5. Colinton Mains Terrace
6. Colinton Mains Road
7. Firhill Crescent

As a response to the high demand for transport in the area I have:

8. Opened depot provision at Murrayburn in order to facilitate more responsive route-planning and hopefully provide greater opportunities for shared transport, thereby reducing use of some taxi provision and external contracts as children and adults have reduced travel time and distance to services in the Oxgangs Road North Area.

9. Arranged to meet with Head Teachers in the surrounding area along with the Quality Improvement Officer ASN schools in order to examine measures to increase shared transport options and further reduce single occupancy vehicles attending Braidburn School. This will require the creation of a “Breakfast Club” to allow some children to be dropped off 20-30 mins early. This will require planning and engagement with parents and although it is not a quick solution I believe it could prove to set a standard and become popular as potentially we can deliver consistent transport solutions valued by children with autism and their families, for example. (I have had some recent success with this model at Kaimes Schools).

10. I will be discussing the implementation of “marshalling” at Braidburn ASN School to ensure we manage access to the area safely. I want to tie this to item 9. So that we can manage quality, safety and seek out further opportunities to increase shared transport options as a more responsive approach.

Item 8. Has been implemented and has affected 15 routes into the Oxgangs Road North area, increased vehicle sharing, reduced travel time for children and adults and improved the experience for vulnerable adults and children.

Item 9 &10 Is planned for meeting by the end of October.