Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035

[Ming the Merciless]

A fine aim, but I suspect it will be under funded or funds mis directed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wyezwly69o

 

[Drago]

It's a laudable aim, however...

I want a hair transplant and 5 minutes alone with Jennifer Lawrence. I suspect both me and those ministers will be disappointed.

 

[Milzy]

Mine walks it’s only just over a mile.

 

[fossyant]

Mine used to walk, but the number of parents you see just driving round the corner to drop the kids as close to school as possible is nuts !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Mine walks it’s only just over a mile.

That is perfect. Just over 2 miles a day, five days a week. That is her 150 mins a week as a base.

 

[Exlaser2]

It’s a wonderful aim and I totally agree with it . But as schools no longer have catchment areas , that ship has totally sailed.

It’s a bit like saying town centres should be full of shops like they were 30/40 years ago with out understanding that the interweb and out of town shopping centres has made this impossible.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

For me it's too specific and too limited. For many even with improved infrastructure the trip to/from school might not be feasible. I'd rather see a broader aims maybe encouraging children to particilate more in active travel, be that to/from school or/and just out playing with friends, etc.

Maybe 0% VAT rate on all cycle products/work. And of course some will make unneeded use buying vastly expensive carbon bikes, but at least they'll be out riding them. Main thing is a 20% price reduction will make buying a bike for themselves or children easier, putting that unused bike back into service more likely, etc.

 

[wakemalcolm]

It’s a wonderful aim and I totally agree with it . But as schools no longer have catchment areas , that ship has totally sailed.

When did schools stop having catchment areas? Is it an England only thing?
Think I missed that news day.

 

[chriswoody]

I know it's not directly comparable, but where I live in Northern Germany it's really not that unusual. Loads of kids cycle or walk to school and every school has large cycle parking areas. My own son cycles 8km (5 miles) every day to school and back, even in deep winter, he's been doing that since he was 10 years old.

As you say though, as laudable an as it is, Britain has a hard enough time accepting cycling as it is, I can't see this initiative coming to much.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

No chance in this day and age, as much as I like the idea, a policy like this was needed ~20 years ago!

 

[geocycle]

When did schools stop having catchment areas? Is it an England only thing?
Think I missed that news day.

You re correct in that they still have catchment areas but they can be quite large. Parental choice means you don’t have to use the nearest school hence the number of short trips taken to get offspring to the ‘best’ schools. This policy has a huge impact as the difference in traffic volumes during school holidays clearly shows.

 

[Exlaser2]

When did schools stop having catchment areas? Is it an England only thing?
Think I missed that news day.

It changed when local authorities lost total control of schools as they became academy’s . My daughter is now 30 and they had definitely gone by the time she went to secondary school here in Coventry, we could have tried to sent her to any of the Coventry schools . It’s was to do with ‘ parental choice ‘ . So it has definitely happened in England . Could be different in wales and Scotland with their devolved powers .

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Some years back listening to a podcast where senior manager from some (significant) US company was being interviewed and their company was encouraging cycling by offering free lunches in their canteen to people who cycled in to work. Uncertain how they verified but I felt a good way to encourage employees to look at cycle commuting. Also, not all companies have canteens but maybe other perks companies could use to encourage. Maybe Government highlighting the benefits of staff arriving more alert, taking fewer days off sick, etc.

 

[Exlaser2]

You re correct in that they still have catchment areas but they can be quite large. Parental choice means you don’t have to use the nearest school hence the number of short trips taken to get offspring to the ‘best’ schools. This policy has a huge impact as the difference in traffic volumes during school holidays clearly shows.

The problem is once a catchment is so large as to cover multiple schools , it stops have any real importance or significance in this context and conversation.
With my daughter, as it was she went to the local school and walked and cycled most days on quiet residential streets .Any of the other schools where three times the distance and she would have had to navigate main roads.

So my basic comment remains , it’s a lovely but unattainable aim while we have the school system as it is and I cannot see any political party campaigning for the return of strict catchment areas and getting rid of ‘ parental choice’.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

A very worthy aim, and headline grabbing numbers, but will probably fizzle out and be lost in the mists of time when further intiatives come along.