Conscience-stricken and pressed for time but unable to avoid the school run? Read on!
The reduction in urban traffic volume during the school holidays is a simple demonstration of the effect of the school run. Everyone would benefit if fewer children travelled to school by car: traffic would be less congested, the air would be cleaner; noise levels would be reduced; children would be healthier; parents’ petrol bills would be smaller; and our contribution to the greenhouse effect would be lessened. But how can this be achieved? Methods of avoiding the school run include cycling, ‘walking buses’, and car share schemes to cut congestion and reduce parking around schools.
Cycling to school
The Safe Routes to School initiative encourages pupils to cycle to school where appropriate, PROVIDED they have a bicycle fitted with:
• working lights and a rear reflector;
• brakes to both wheels; and
• tyres that are pumped up and have sufficient tread;
and that they wear:
• an approved cycle helmet in good condition and the right size;
• high visibility clothing - fluorescent for daylight and a reflective band for the dark;
• cycle clips around ankles to prevent trousers becoming caught in the chain.
Safety depends not just on visibility and the roadworthiness of the bicycle but also on managing sometimes complex traffic situations. So the SECOND STEP is that children must attend bicycle training programmes, preferably ‘on road’. Some local authorities run these courses throughout the year and they are often delivered as part of a school’s curriculum.
Finally the school should provide safe and secure cycle parking in locations that can be easily supervised.
Transport for London is encouraging children to cycle to school, in the hope that targeting children and young people will help to reduce the number of unnecessary short car journeys.
Walking buses
A walking bus is a group of children walking in a ‘crocodile’ fashion escorted by two or more trained adult volunteers. The adult at the front is called the ‘driver’ and the rear adult the ‘conductor’. The children walk to school along an approved route, collecting ‘passengers’ from designated ‘bus stops’ to which children are escorted by an adult. As with a conventional bus, the walking bus runs to an agreed timetable - if the child is late then the bus cannot wait. The walking bus coordinator keeps a register of children, a copy of which is available for the driver each day to keep an account of the child’s attendance.
As well as providing a healthy alternative to travelling by car, the walking bus is a good opportunity for children to socialise with other pupils and gain valuable pedestrian skills. The bus is highly visible as all participants are provided with fluorescent vests. If you are interested in setting up a walking bus, the advice is to approach the school’s headteacher who will liaise with parents, the local council and road safety officers.
School run car share
If travelling to school by car is the only option, try organising a school run car share system. Often this is done on an ad hoc basis, but the London Borough of Bromley has a department for school travel plans, which includes encouraging parents in sharing the school run. All participants in the scheme have to pass safety checks and gain Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance. Such schemes can create a bespoke system which increases the sense of a school community and has the benefit of running itself.
See: www.bromley.gov.uk/transportandstreets/roadsafety/Training+and+education/school_travel_plans.htm
What schools can do
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) encourages schools to consider:
developing road safety skills through practical pedestrian and cycle training;
promoting positive behaviour by pupils on their journey to and from school;
investigating how transport supports the extended school day and whether staggered opening hours can allow pupils to access a wider range of school-based activities;
providing secure cycle storage and lockers, and adequate cloakroom facilities;
checking whether uniform and timetabling policies support walking and cycling;
incorporating travel planning into the curriculum;
working with children with special educational needs to prepare them for independent travel wherever possible.
Prospective parents and students should ask the school about its approach to the travel issue and look out for bus bays, cycle racks, cycle paths and evidence of a school travel plan (eg leaflets or posters displayed around the school building, highlighting the main targets and proposed actions).
School travel plans
A school travel plan is a statement of problems which need to be addressed, such as health and safety concerns and a strategy for overcoming or reducing them, thus making journeys to and from school safer and healthier. The process of creating the plan draws together everyone with an interest in the project - pupils, parents, teachers, governors, the school premises manager, local residents, councillors, the local authority, education and transport officers, the local police, local health authorities and public transport operators - and often leads to training of pupils and adults, better facilities, enhanced public transport services and safety improvements to the physical environment.