Study warns “safety first” over School Travel

Study warns “safety first” over School Travel Plans

A study into school travel plans in Auckland has highlighted the need for children to be safe when using non-vehicle modes of transport to and from school.

It also concludes the benefits of school travel plans may be concentrated in higher socio-economic areas.

Dr Jamie Hosking, a public health medicine registrar with Waitemata District Health Board, told the Public Health Association conference at Auckland University today that research he carried out into the health impacts of school travel plans indicated areas must be more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly if school travel plans are to fully succeed.

School travel plans, administered by Land Transport New Zealand and financed by local councils, encourage sustainable and more active travel. A school travel plan might provide a walking school bus, lockers so pupils don’t have to carry heavy books to and from school, or cycle racks for pupils to park their bikes in during the day.

There are about 100 school travel plans in New Zealand, most of them in Auckland.

“School travel plans have many benefits,” Dr Hosking told the public health delegates, “including strengthening community bonds, reducing air pollution and increasing fitness and reducing obesity. But travel plans must also be about safety for pedestrians and cyclists.”

Dr Hosking told the conference, organisers also have to be careful not to worsen health inequalities between socio-economic groups.

“Only two of the school travel plans in Auckland are in south Auckland. That means people in poorer areas don’t get the benefits from the travel plans, making already existing inequalities in health worse.

“Unless we make a point of focussing on lower socio-economic areas, they could slip through the net – and these are the areas with the highest health needs”.

Dr Hosking told the conference school travel plans will work only if the areas through which students are travelling are made safe.

“Most importantly, by slowing traffic in the area, and reducing traffic near schools and homes,” he said.

ENDS

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