Media Release

March 18, 2008

Travelling Wise

There are plans afoot to get Te Atatu South’s children to adopt more active, social and environmentally friendly means of getting to school each day.

On Wednesday morning at 10.30am the TravelWise School Travel Plans for Te Atatu South will be unveiled at Rangeview Intermediate.

The programme’s goal is to reduce the number of private car trips to school by increasing walking, cycling and public transport – it has been specifically designed in response to interviews carried out with students in which they identified issues which affect their travel; like road safety hazards.

Strategies in the plan include engineering, measures to improve road safety near the schools, education for students and parents, encouragement and incentives to adopt sustainable transport, and lastly, enforcement.

Local politicians including, Te Atatu MP and Education Minister Chris Carter, and Henderson Community Board chairman Elizabeth Grimmer will address students at the launch.

Elizabeth Grimmer says transport to school should be safe, sustainable, active and fun for students.

“The benefits of adopting alternative means of transport are higher levels of physical activity, less traffic congestion around schools, less pollution - and of course less petrol means less expense,” she says.

The schools involved are Flanshaw Road School, Freyberg Community School, Arohanui Special School, Tirimoana School and Rangeview Intermediate.

The Waitakere City Council, ARTA, the Henderson Community Board, Waitemata DHB, Sport Waitakere, NZ Police, and Road Sense joined with the schools to spearhead the programme.

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