Commenting, local Lib Dem ward councillor, Darren Fower, said:
“Over the past 20 years, the percentage of children travelling to school by car has doubled, almost 40% of primary and 20% of seconday age children are now driven to school each day.
“In Peterborough, this factor was exacerbated by the Tory controlled City Council, when they closed down perfectly good schools a few years ago, eventually flogging off land for housing or supermarkets, such as Bretton Woods and Honeyhill.”
The school run can mean significant cost implications, with families spending over £300 annually on the drive to school in petrol costs and wear and tear to the average car.
Children who walk to school learn more about their local environment – they find out who their neighbours are and make friends as they chat to other children on the way to school.
- View YOUR local schools travel plan by CLICKING HERE!
- Nearly half (48%) of children would like to walk or bike to school even more if they could, says a new survey carried out by a specialist child research agency, ChildWise, in partnership with the Department of Transport (DfT) in 2004.
- The younger children who walk use about 75% of the number of calories travelling to and from school that they would from two hours of PE.
- The older children use over one third more in walking than they do in two hours of PE, especially the boys.
What do YOU think? Please leave a comment below!