Gemeente Maastricht's 'pilot schoolstraten', in which Capucijnenstraat is closed to motorised traffic during school drop-off and pick-up times, will remain in force for the time being. According to Gemeente Maastricht and also the primary school itself, the first evaluation since the start of the pilot on 11 May 2020 shows positive effects.

Closing off the inner city street just before and after lessons – twice a day for about 30 minutes – results in less chaos and disruption.  As a result, the atmosphere at the school gates isbetter. There is also an improvement in traffic safety for school children and parents who are both walking and cycling to school, and less exhaust fumes and noise. There is now physical space for everyone to bring and pick up their children safely, also in accordance with the 1.5 metre social distancing regulations.

The latter was in any case the reason for temporarily closing the road. Keeping a distance with all the traffic was a difficult task, it is said.

Yet there are also objections. The street is temporarily inaccessible and the traffic, and therefore disruption, moves to the nearby streets. Disruption such as incorrect parking and crowding. Neighbours and residents of other neighbourhoods are suffering as a result.

The primary school says it wants to continue with the temporary closure because it improves traffic safety for the children. Residents of Capucijnenstraat are enthusiastic about the effect of temporarily closing the street to traffic.

Together with the school, Gemeente Maastricht will investigate in the coming months whether there is sufficient support among parents and in the neighbourhood to continue the 'pilot schoolstraten' in the future. The condition for continuing the street closure in the future is that the pilot must be proven. Gemeente Maastricht will share the results with the neighbourhood and the school, after which it will decide on the continuation of the pilot on the basis of the results.

Read the original article by RTV Maastricht in Dutch.