Walk or cycle into a new term with active travel measures for Fingal schools

Fingal County Council offers free support and training to schools and parents who want to run walking and cycling buses in the coming academic year 2023/24.

The percentage of children driven to school in Fingal is growing each year.

With the RSA saying Irish roads are “incredibly dangerous for small children”, parents are understandably concerned that cycling to school alone may not be safe on busy roads during peak commuting hours.

Cycle and Walking Buses are supervised by trained volunteers and offer increased safety while empowering children to make it to school under their own steam.

Research shows that car dependent children are less physically active than their peers. Less physically active children tend to be less healthy and we know that play and recreation are good for their mental health too.

Cycling and Walking Buses encourage daily exercise and help kids enjoy their commute.

Active Travel to school can help tackle climate change. Climate action must start now and reducing our dependence on cars and fossil fuels plays a big part in that mission.

These alternatives provide an environmentally friendly and sustainable way to travel.

A group of experienced volunteers, parents and teachers, escort groups of children to school by bike or walking along a set route, on a set timetable, every day during school term.

Just like a school bus theses ‘buses’ stop to pick up children at points along the route to school.

When cycling, volunteers’ function like a mobile cycle lane, allowing children as young as 5, to cycle to school safely.

Volunteers have key roles to fulfill to ensure the safety of the children, and are stationed at the front, rear, on the outside of the group as support, and at major junctions along the route.

The process is similar for a walking bus with volunteers leading and protecting the group of children along their walk.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Buses can be led by a small group of parent/guardian volunteers
• They reduce school gate congestion
• They teach road safety while nurturing children’s confidence
• Participating schools report children arriving alert and ready to learn

The Active Travel Unit at Fingal County Council is ready to assist parents, guardians and teachers by planning a safe route, training group leaders and helping children get excited about walking, scooting or cycling to school.

Learn more at https://www.fingal.ie/activetravel/roadsafety/cycling-and-walking-buses where you’ll find testimonial videos from Fingal schools who have already made the switch to Active Travel.