Stopping ban is disregarded Lake Zurich municipality has had enough of parent cabs - and is now deploying spies

The municipality of Männedorf ZH wants to increase safety in front of the Blatten school building - but many parents ignore the driving ban. Volunteers are now monitoring the situation and a definitive stopping ban is on the cards.

The municipality of Männedorf ZH has had enough. At least of cars in front of the school building. Parents drive their children to and from school on Hasenackerstrasse. But although there is a temporary driving ban from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., many parents ignore it for what appears to be a good reason: "Shuttle service permitted", the sign says.

Especially in the early hours of the morning, a spectacle takes place that drives many residents to white heat, as the NZZ describes: SUV after SUV, parents chauffeur their children to just in front of the Blatten school building, turn in the narrow street, stop in driveways - and often risk dangerous situations for other pupils.

Halloween - and lots of excuses

A mother apologizes: "Only because of Halloween." A father prefers not to say anything. Both ignore not only the driving ban, but also common sense, as local residents put it. "They're worried about their own children - and endangering everyone else in the process," says a woman who is actively involved in the data collection.

The municipality of Männedorf has therefore sent a letter specifically asking residents to observe the driving ban. The letter states: "This was ordered because more and more parent cabs are endangering the safety of schoolchildren and previous measures such as campaigns, bollards and traffic signs have not had the desired effect." And further: "If this measure has the desired effect, the Männedorf school (...) will definitely introduce the stopping ban."

The municipality is no longer looking the other way - in the truest sense of the word. Recently, volunteers have been observing what is happening in the morning, at lunchtime and in the afternoon. Tally sheets document every car that stops without permission. Initial results: 15 vehicles were counted on a single morning - and that was in the sunshine. It is even worse when it rains or before the weekend.

Stopping ban instead of helplessness

The measure hits a sore spot. According to an AXA study, 27% of all parents in Switzerland drive their children to school at least once a week, reports the NZZ. In French-speaking Switzerland, this figure is almost one in two.

In Wädenswil, for example, the town reacted last year with a stopping ban after a girl was hit by a delivery van. According to school president Pierre Rappazzo, things have been quiet there since then. The bans are already a reality in other cities in the canton of Zurich and in other cantons, such as Bern.

Between responsibility and reality

The debate is polarizing. Many parents feel torn between the need for safety and social expectations. "Sometimes there's no other way," says one mother, who at least parks her car in a side street. Others plead for understanding - be it because of a "forest day" or overtired children after Halloween.

Meanwhile, the municipality of Männedorf is focusing on communication rather than repression. Beatrice Scherrer, Head of Education, emphasizes to the NZZ: "We don't want to punish anyone, but we do want to ensure safety." Particularly tricky are blind reversing maneuvers on the narrow road - small children are often overlooked despite reversing cameras.