Let’s make the polluting school run a thing of the past!

A collaborative approach to challenging the dominance of the car will see most children once more walking, scooting or cycling to school, believes Dr Dafydd Trystan Davives

Many of us will no doubt remember our journeys to school. For those of us whose journeys are somewhat distant memories, the chances are they were journeys on foot or bike, with a fair bit of play added in along the way home too! That was probably particularly true of travelling to Primary School.

Over the past decades the relaxed amble (scoot or pedal) to school has been replaced in far too many cases by the considerably more stressful (for families and children alike) school run. And the only running that is part of that very modern phenomenon, is that of an engine left running, belching out pollution as children are unceremoniously deposited with some haste at the school gates.

The consequences of this society-wide shift are sadly predictable. We are witnessing rocketing rates of childhood obesity and associated inactivity alongside increasing rates of childhood asthma and other respiratory diseases – directly linked to air pollution.

I find this situation deeply frustrating, because we can turn back the ever increasing queue of cars at the school gates each morning – and support children and their families to make healthier and more active choices on their journey to school. In truth, there are a whole host of ways to get more children walking, wheeling and cycling to school, and developing these alternatives has been a key part of our work as the Active Travel Board for Wales and my work as the Board’s first independent Chair.

The statistics are quite stark. We know that some three-quarters of children in primary school live within easy walking or wheeling distance to school (no more than a 20 minute walk or 10 minute cycle ride), and yet less than half walk or wheel to school; every day.

So what can be done? And should it be a priority?

I was heartened to see the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport setting out Walking and Wheeling to School as one his priorities. And he is right to do so – as the benefits in terms of health, the environment and education of active journeys to school become clearer.

The Healthy and Active School Journeys conference, taking place in Cardiff on 27 March 2025, will highlight many of the great ideas already implemented in schools across Wales and include a wide-ranging discussion on how we ensure progress over the next five years. Making progress is critical, because frankly speaking, our work as an independent Board has highlighted a lack of progress over the past decade.

There are five key elements to success:

• School Travel plans – where the school as a community comes together and plans for sustainable journeys to school for the vast majority of pupils.

• Tackling any infrastructure on the routes to school, such as wider pavements, safer routes and better crossing points.

• School streets – where access is restricted to the street(s) closest to the school at the start and end of the day, creating a safer environment at the school gate for children to walk, wheel or cycle whilst still allowing access for  local residents.

• Scooting and Cycling training for children so that they can be confident and safe as they cycle to school

• Inclusive walking, wheeling and cycling, working with different groups of children who may face particular barriers to walking and cycling and supporting them to travel actively wherever possible.

Doing all of these things in combination – making sure that Education, Transport and Health – all work together effectively to support children and their families to make the right choice on their journey to school is the way to ensure success. At its best we’ve seen schools with 95%+ rates of active travel – on every day of the year. Imagine if that was the position across Wales – with everyone of those children who live close to their primary school walking or wheeling to school. Traffic would reduce significantly, air pollution would reduce – children would be healthier and happier. 

That brighter future is possible – but it requires collective effort and focus. Join me on 27 March to see how we can truly turn the clock back on the school journeys; and consign the polluting school run to history.

Dr Dafydd Trystan Davives is Chair of the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Board.

He will be speaking at Healthy & Active School Journeys https://www.landorlinks.uk/active-school-journeys