05 March 2004
Councils will gain powers to organise pilot schemes to reduce school run traffic under a draft Bill due out next week.
Education Secretary Charles Clarke told the Commons' transport select committee on March 3 that he proposed to allow councils maximum flexibility to run pilots appropriate to their area, including powers to charge for school transport.
Clarke's move responds to concern that the proportion of children taken to school by car both increases congestion and deprives children of the health benefits of walking or cycling.
Evidence from the Department for Education and Skills shows that the number of children driven to school has doubled over 20 years, to 40% for primary schools and 20% for secondary pupils. Over the morning peak hour in term time, one car in 11 on the road in England was making a school run.
'It is a national issue but one that should be tackled locally,' he said. 'The patterns of travel to school vary enormously even over one local government area. Our prejudice is to prescribe as little as possible.'
Solutions tried have included additional bus services, 'walking buses' – where pupils are collected in a supervised group – and measures to encourage cycling.
Clarke said the Bill would insist on free transport for pupils who claim free meals and would bar any pilot that increased traffic, but would otherwise leave councils free to experiment.
Around 20 councils are expected to have pilots approved. Successful approaches might be adopted more widely. The full Bill is not expected until the next parliamentary session, he added.
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