Schools
Most of us, especially those who are parents, will know just how much the journey to school has changed since we were at school ourselves - more traffic, longer journeys, more to carry, more pressures on time. The most quoted statistic is that 20% of cars on the road in urban areas at the morning peak of ten minutes to nine are taking children to school.
But you may not be aware of the dramatic changes that have occurred just in the last ten years:
- Since 1994 the proportion of primary aged children walking to school has declined from 61% to 50%.
- There was an increase from 30% to 41% in the number being driven to school.
- Children aged 16 and under made 62 per cent of all their trips as car passengers.
- The average length of the journey to school for secondary pupils has gone up by well over a third.
The problem directly affects more than nine million young people in education in the United Kingdom and their families. Indirectly it touches everyone through its effects on health, education, local air quality and congestion. Travelwise NI offers advice and practical alternatives to the ‘School Run’.
Understand the problem and you can be part of the solution.
Understand the problem and you can be part of the solution.
Changing Behaviours
Walk to School
Walking your children to school or walking with them for fun on the weekends can provide an opportunity to spend some quality time with them. Allowing your child to walk to school, the shops, the park or to visit friends and family will have many positive benefits for their development.
Cycling to School
Many children who do not currently cycle to school would like to do so. A 2001 survey of pupil's travel behaviour in the Lisburn City Council area showed that almost 50% of the children surveyed would prefer to cycle to school.
PARENTS: Don't be a taxi-driver, let your kids cycle to school
Safer Routes to Schools
Travelwise NI Safer Routes to Schools is an initiative aimed at encouraging pupils and their parents who use the car as their primary method of travelling to school to transfer to other more environmentally friendly means, such as walking, cycling and public transport, through a package of practical and educational measures.
Best Foot Forward For Schools
The Best Foot Forward for Schools programme has been developed to educate pupils, teachers and parents of the health, safety and environmental benefits of walking, cycling, car sharing and using public transport, particularly for shorter journeys including the "School Run" and everyday travel.
The programme is aimed at Key Stage 2 pupils and is delivered through a series of teacher led classroom and home based activities.
