How even fewer pupils are walking to school

Fewer are walking and only half travel in under their own steam, a study shows.

A ‘Hands Up Scotland’ national poll of 450,000 pupils, carried out by cycle charity Sustrans, revealed a 5 per cent decline between 2008 and 2016 in walking – from nearly half to 43 per cent.

The number given a lift rose from 22 to 24 per cent.

According to the survey of 1,926 primary and secondary schools – funded by Transport Scotland – 3.5 per cent cycled in last year, while the total using any form of exercise, including cycles and scooters, fell from 52 to 50 per cent. The call to children to get on their bikes to stay fit and healthy appears so far to have had limited impact, with numbers up by only a fraction on the 2.8 per cent in 2008 who cycled in.

It falls far short of a Holyrood target for 2020 that a tenth of the journeys are by bike.

The survey showed only half of pupils are using ‘active travel’, despite millions of pounds being spent encouraging people to drive less. Obesity rates are soaring, with 28 per cent of children overweight.

The Hands Up survey’s report says: ‘Overall, there has been a steady decline in pupils reporting walking to school over the years.’ The Scottish Government’s walk to school initiative faces certain practical obstacles such as the distance between home and class, according to recent research.

Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said traffic and pollution made it hard for parents to get involved in the campaign.

He said: ‘You can have all the exhortation you like in spelling out the health benefits and social values of children walking to school, but if parents feel that it isn’t safe for them to do so, the rates will flatline or fall.’

Philip Glennie, smarter choices manager for Sustrans, said: ‘The overall picture is that half of children are using active means to get to school, which is really positive.

‘This data will help local authorities plan what kinds of programmes they can put in place.

‘We are always keen to encourage more children to walk to school but there are other pressures which influence the travel choices made.’

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: ‘The Government continues to work with local authorities and wider partners to encourage walking and cycling.

‘We are pleased that cycling rates have increased since 2010.

‘Local authorities have a number of tools they can use to encourage walking and cycling, such as 20mph and vehicle exclusion zones around schools.

‘We continue to fund local authorities directly with a cycling, walking and safer streets grant which this year is just over £7million.

‘We made a commitment in our Programme for Government to at least maintain our record investment in active travel – £39.2million annually – to 2021.’

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