Council buys 15 bikes to boost school active travel

THE Vale of Glamorgan Council has spent £10,000 on bicycles and equipment to encourage active travel at a school.

Whitmore High School has purchased 15 bikes, bike locks, helmets and a storage container with funding from the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund Grant.

The bikes will be used for travelling to and from sports events, lessons, field trips and training. The bikes may also be loaned and used by teachers and pupils to get to and from school.

The council’s Road Safety Team has organised for cycle proficiency training to be offered to Year Seven pupils and will be promoted particularly to pupils who are entitled to free school meals.

Upon successfully passing their tests, they will be offered the use of the bicycles during the summer holiday. Earlier this year, the council’s Healthy Living Team worked with the school in Barry to produce a School Active Travel Plan, which identified a number of ways to enable more staff and pupils to cycle or walk to school.

One of the issues raised in the plan was the lack of access to bikes for some pupils, with some not having learnt to ride a bike safely.

This follows a series of other investments in active travel throughout the Vale including recently completed cycle tracks and road safety installations in school playgrounds, the construction of a 1.1km walking, wheeling and cycling route in St Athan and the introduction of free bicycle repair stations and bicycle parking stands throughout the Vale.

Councillor Bronwen Brooks, deputy leader and cabinet member for sustainable places, said: “This is another excellent example of the innovative ways that the council is working with local schools to help promote active travel and change travel behaviour throughout the Vale.

“It’s hoped that this will not only contribute towards our plans for active travel but also ensure that no child is held back, helping pupils to build bike confidence and travel independently.

“Young people often express a desire to choose an active way of travelling to school and to be more independent and healthy and so we’re working with schools to help remove the barriers that may prevent them from making that journey.

“Encouraging active travel is a key part of our Project Zero Strategy, the council’s commitment to tackle climate change.”