A new ‘School Street’ will be trialled near La Mare de Carteret Primary School and The Sixth Form Centre from next Monday.
The initiative restricts most motorist from accessing certain roads, during school drop off and pick up times, to encourage walking and cycling among pupils.
Traffic & Highway Services will monitor the initial month-long trial to see if a longer trial is needed during the next school term.
The initial trial will see motorists restricted from driving along Rue des Français and the eastern section of Rue du Galaad, on weekdays between 08:15 and 08:40 and between 14:45 and 15:15.
Only pedestrians, cyclists, buses, emergency vehicles, and residents will be able to use the roads during those times.
This is the sixth potential School Street in Guernsey.
Traffic and Highway Services Road Safety Officer, Paul James said the team were “pleased” to see “such momentum”.
Mr James said this latest informal trial will “allow for a safer journey to and from school for a larger proportion of young islanders, their families and school-based staff”.
“The School Street schemes also increases the expanding network of safer routes across the island that vulnerable road users can be confident using as part of their journeys, especially at peak times,” he said.
La Mare and Sixth Form to focus on road safety next
Traffic and Highways says the move to create a ‘School Street’ near La Mare de Carteret follows a number of incidents over the years.
The States gave examples of “seven separate road safety concerns” over the past five years, regarding “vehicles encroaching footpaths or not stopping at crossings”.
Two of these incidents were ‘near misses’ involving parents with a young child.
Alison Elliott, Headteacher at La Mare de Carteret Primary School, said they are “pleased to be able to champion the launch of the La Mare de Carteret School Street trial”, and that it will support their “ongoing commitment to the safety, health, and well-being of our entire school community”.
Ms Elliott added that she hopes the trial will “create a calmer, safer environment that will transform the streets surrounding our school into a welcoming space that actively encourages families to choose walking, cycling, or scooting.
“Active travel not only boosts physical health but also ensures our children arrive at their classrooms energised, focused, and ready to learn.”
Kieran James, the Principal of The Sixth Form Centre, said his staff “fully support facilitating and encouraging safer active travel and reducing congestion around our site for Sixth Form students” as well for younger students and families from La Mare Primary.
“Given the later start and finish times of The Sixth Form Centre, the impact for students, parents and carers picking up and dropping off should be negligible.”
He also said there will be more to come from the Sixth Form, on road safety with the Sixth Form’s student Active Travel team “particularly keen” to welcome in the new School Street scheme “prior to an event they are organising in July”.
Next month’s event will see this team share “young people’s experiences of local roads with our deputies and asking for change”.
A potted history of School Streets
The concept was first introduced to Guernsey three years ago, after safety concerns were raised by pupils at St Martin’s Primary school.
La Houguette Primary School followed with its School Street trial along Rue de L’Arquet in 2024, once again instigated by pupils.
Last year saw trials start on new School Streets near both St Sampson’s High School and Les Beaucamps High School, with peak time closures of La Vieille Rue and Ruette des Deslisles.
This year, Castel Primary School entered the mix, with vehicle access restricted on Ruette de la Generotte and Rue de la Masse.
Initially scheduled to end at the May half-term, Traffic & Highway Services extended the initiative into an official formal trial running for a minimum of nine months to assess the scheme across different seasons and school activities.
