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Press Release

PAT WOULD WELCOME MORE SCHOOL BUSES TO CUT SCHOOL RUN

24 April 2006

The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) has welcomed David Cameron’s call for more school buses to reduce car use during the ‘school run’.

PAT General Secretary Philip Parkin said: “We support initiatives to increase the use of school buses.

“We should try and reduce the ever-increasing amount of traffic on our already congested roads. The congestion caused around schools by parents driving or parking their cars can be a serious hazard to children and adults arriving or leaving school and to other road-users and pedestrians.

"The majority of primary pupils in towns live within walking distance of school, yet many are still driven that short distance to school by their parents.

"Over the past 20 years, the number of children travelling to school by car has doubled while fewer and fewer pupils walk or cycle to school. It is not surprising that levels of childhood obesity have increased!

"Walking to school brings great benefit to pupils, helping them to become healthier, fitter and more environmentally aware, as well as reducing traffic and pollution.

“Sometimes – particularly in rural areas – it may be necessary for parents to drive their children to school, but we would urge parents to explore other safe alternatives wherever possible and the Government to provide more school transport.

“In 1999, members at our Annual Conference [http://www.pat.org.uk/index.cfm?param=content/conf1999.htm] debated the impact that the ‘school run’ had on traffic levels and road safety around schools and voted for the motion ‘Conference believes that chauffeuring children to school is damaging to their physical and psychological well-being’.

“A statistic quoted at the Conference was that a million school run journeys were made every day, accounting for one in five cars on the roads during rush hour.”



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Voice: the union for education professionals

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