The main aim of a school travel plan is to encourage and promote more sustainable and environmentally friendly travel choices for school-related trips. In turn, this should reduce the volume of traffic around the school and address the associated concerns for congestion and road safety. School travel plans are not only about transport, they are also about improving health, broadening education and combating social exclusion. In addition they contribute to Local Agenda 21 strategies on sustainable development in our communities.
Safer Routes to School
Safer Routes to School is a project encouraged by the Government, and promoted on its behalf by the organisation Sustrans. The aim of the scheme is to encourage more children to walk or cycle to school with accompanying health and environmental benefits. This is done by making changes to the road environment by reducing vehicle speeds and proving improved facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Schools are prioritised on the basis of the number and severity of child casualties on the school journey.
Walk to School Weeks
Two Walk to School Weeks in the year are designed to encourage parents to walk to school with their children. Schools are invited to take part in these events and various items of promotional literature are available. North Lanarkshire Health Board supports the exercise by providing financial support to schools submitting the best plans for promoting the Walk to School week. It is intended to extend this project in the forthcoming years.
Parking at Schools (Park Smart)
The problem of parked cars is common to most schools. Publicity materials are available to address the problem. Leaflets, posters and banners can be supplied to schools to distribute to parents. Other publicity materials such as leaflets for parents of new intake pupils are distributed to all schools. Posters and other promotional materials supporting TV campaigns are issued from time to time.
School Crossing Patrols
There are around 240 patrols in North Lanarkshire and requests are regularly received seeking the establishment of new patrol points. Requests are considered against nationally agreed criteria with the final decision being taken by the Council's Planning and Environment Committee. The traffic counts etc is carried out by the Council's Transportation Section and the reports to Committee prepared by the Road Safety staff.
Kerbcraft
Kerbcraft is a practical, kerbside, road safety training programme for primary one school children. The scheme was originally researched in Scotland a few years ago and is now being introduced in many areas throughout the UK.
North Lanarkshire Council is one of the first Councils in Scotland to pilot Kerbcraft with 11 schools in South Wishaw involved in the training programme.
Kerbcraft training is delivered by volunteers who receive basic road safety training before working with the children. This training covers skills involved in working with children, practical road safety training at the sites to be used and guidance on the three core skills of the scheme. These skills are –
- Choosing safe places and routes,
- Crossing safely at parked cars and
- Crossing safely near junctions.
If you are interested in participating in this scheme please contact the Road Safety Section for more details.
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