main content School travel plans are ahead of the game!

The success of the borough’s school travel plan campaign has been highlighted. Bromley has achieved the highest level of car reduction on the school run when compared to all London boroughs. Since the school travel plan initiative was introduced in the borough in 2004, surveys have shown that car use has reduced by 15% on the school run. 82 schools across the borough currently have a school travel plan with 14 more in the pipeline.

“Travel plans are about highlighting the other forms of sustainable transport available to people such as car sharing, walking and cycling. This excellent result reflects the dedication of our local school communities to make changes to their everyday travel patterns through their travel plans. However, as the changes concerned are behavioural ones, our efforts are on-going to ensure people continue the good work.” said Sarah Smith, School Travel Plan Support Officer.

Changes in car use were determined by ‘hands up’ pupil questionnaires in those schools within the borough with a travel plan. The exciting news was confirmed at a pan London school travel advisor meeting by Transport for London. In Bromley, the school travel plan programme has gone from strength to strength and exceeded central government targets. In March 2007 all local authorities were required to have 60% of schools with a travel plan in place; in Bromley that figure was 72%.

School travel plans are specific to each school and aim to increase the use and promotion of sustainable transport. One of the main schemes operating in Bromley schools travel plans is the Walk on Wednesday (WoW Scheme). Currently over 13,000 participants put on their walking shoes each month and travel to school on foot. On the completion of writing a school travel plan, schools receive a grant from central government to spend on improvements within their schools grounds. So far, Bromley Schools have received almost half a million pounds which has been spent on a range of benefits to schools including playground shelters, barriers across car parks, lighting and CCTV.

For further information on school travel plans please contact 020 8313 4546 or road.safety@bromley.gov.uk.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact Amy Bevins, Strategy Development Officer, on 020 8313 4738, or email amy.bevins@bromley.gov.uk

Further information is available at www.bromley.gov.uk/roadsafety