Takapuna Primary gets Travelwise

Takapuna Primary gets Travelwise

Takapuna Primary celebrated the launch of their Travelwise programme last Friday with a special school assembly attended by Mayor Andrew Williams.

The school is the fortieth in the city to sign up to the Travelwise Schools programme, piloted by the council in 2002 with ongoing success, says Nicola Maire, council travelwise co-ordinator.

“Having forty Travelwise schools in our city is a great milestone to reach after only a few years,” says Ms Maire.

The Takapuna Primary launch saw Principal Margaret Harris and other school representatives signing their commitment to the Travelwise programme alongside ARTA representatives.

“In signing on to the Travelwise programme the school has made a commitment to develop and nourish sustainable and safe transport measures within the school”, says Principal Margaret Harris.

“Our school is situated in a very challenging environment for our parents, students and teachers. We are dedicated to making sustainable travel choices easier for our staff and students, while reducing our carbon footprint and focussing on child safety at the same time.”

Students marked the occasion by singing their own ‘Travelwise’ theme song, especially composed for the celebration.

Objectives for the Takapuna Primary Travelwise programme include promoting walking to and from school, encouraging the development of new and existing Walking School Bus programmes, encouraging and developing safe cycling skills, and promoting road safety and sustainable transport within the school community.

The school has already showed its commitment to reducing travel to school by car with two walking school buses currently operating and more planned for the future.

As part of the Travelwise programme a school speed zone of 40km will be installed within a few months.

Works on a safer crossing in Auburn St have begun and the council is also currently investigating a safer crossing option in Killarney St.

ENDS

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