Ministers tackle the school run
The Government has revealed new plans that will encourage parents to help ease congestion during the school run by getting their children to walk, cycle or get the bus to school.
Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, and Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, revealed plans to invest £50 million over the next two years to improve transport to schools and create safer routes, more road crossings, lower speed limits and cycle paths.
‘Travelling to School: – an action plan’ aims to promote both safe and healthy travel to school. The Government also hopes to help children to get more exercise and tackle rising levels of obesity in children through the plans.
Charles Clarke explained that twice as many children are driven to school now in comparison with 20 years and most of these journeys are less than two miles.
‘That is why we want to encourage schools and local education authorities to use these ideas to make walking, cycling and bus travel safe, realistic options for more schools and their pupils. This is about ideas and encouragement – not prescription,’ he said.
The plans also intend to look at staggering school timetables to ease congestion during peak hours.
