Vehicle access around the school is sometimes chaotic, specially at the busy times at the start and end of the school day. Whilst we are constantly trying to work with the local authorities and the Luxembourg government to improve the situation our task is made difficult when people do not respect the rules of the road.
Our neighbours have tried to help by offering their open car park space but this was withdrawn because it was abused by a small number of parents.
So that we are clear about the rules to be respected we have detailed them in this blog post and if we have forgotten any then we will put them in a later post.
Nursery School
Starting with the Nursery school, when exiting the car park you must turn right only, and there is a big blue sign on the right of the exit to let drivers know that this is the case. If you try to turn left then do not be surprised if other road users object to you doing that.
Primary School
This is where the congestion is the worst at peak times and we can only remind drivers to be patient and obey the signs and rules of the road. These rules are put in place by the Luxembourg authorities to ensure the safety of all road users and if you break them then you risk not only a fine but also injuring other road users. On street parking exists only opposite D’Coque car park in rue Léon Hengen and on rue Antoine de Saint-Exupéry but as many of you know it is at a premium at busy times.
Rue Léon Hengen
In rue Léon Hengen there is no parking at all. You may stop to let people in or out of your vehicle but parking is not permitted. There are areas next to junctions and entrances that will attract an inflated fine if you are parked there. These exist to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, the prevention of blocking the busses, which need to keep to a timetable, and the safety of all road users.
Boulevard Konrad Adenauer
This is the main road that runs past the Primary and Secondary schools. It is also a main road from the Autoroute to the city centre and so it is dual carriageway. Currently, the bus routes are diverted along Bvd Konrad Adenauer which adds to the traffic. The main point to note about this road is that the speed limit is 50 km/h and this is particularly important at school start and finish times. The other thing that all road users need to be aware of is that only the left lane has a “no stopping” restriction. Vehicles in the right lane may stop to set down or pick up passengers.
Heading towards the city, as the featured image shows, at the junction with rue Léon Hengen no left turns are permitted, and if you choose to ignore that then do not be surprised if other road users become angry with you.
D’Coque
Contrary to popular belief, the car park belonging to D’Coque is not a public car park. D’Coque is run on behalf of the Luxembourg Government to provide facilities for elite athletes, national and visiting sports teams as well as playing host to various national and international sporting championships. It comprises, amongst other things, 2 swimming pools, a diving pool, indoor sports arena, restaurants and a hotel. When it is not fulfilling its primary purpose it is open for the public to use and the car park is then for their use. You can use D’Coque car park but you must respect their rules and pay the appropriate fee for the time that you are there, just as D’Coque patrons do.
Secondary School
By the time your children get to Secondary school they are almost capable of getting to and from school by themselves. However, if it is more convenient for you to take your children then by all means do so. You have probably learnt by this time that the car parks on Boulevard Konrad Adenauer are the best places to drop off your children and to wait to collect them at the end of the day. It is unlikely that the parking control officers will patrol these car parks during peak times but if you know that you will be some time it is best to pay to avoid the possibility of a ticket.
