School Travel Plans
Bedford Borough Council aims to work with all schools to develop
school travel plans which promote sustainable travel and improve
levels of safety, health and fitness through reducing traffic and
congestion. Central to the promotion of sustainable travel is
raising awareness of the alternatives to travel by car through
encouraging walking, cycling or taking public transport. In
addition people need to be provided with the skills to travel
independently (where appropriate), confidently and safely.
A school travel plan that meets the national standard sets out
a number of practical steps to help achieve this. It looks in
detail at children's needs on the school journey and attempts to
address them by finding the right solution for each individual
school. A school travel plan also has clearly stated aims,
objectives and targets that are achievable, measurable and are
supported by the whole school, children, parents and the wider
community.
It is a living document that becomes embedded into school life and
policy.
Why school travel plans?
Over the past 20 years there have been big
changes in the way that children travel to school. Car use has
doubled, bus and train patronage have remained steady and the
proportion of pupils walking or cycling has decreased sharply.
Driving to school causes congestion especially in urban areas in
term time nearly one in five cars at 8.50am is on the school
run.