Parents ‘don’t want to use their car on the school run’
More than eight out of ten parents (84%) don’t want to drive their children to school, a new survey has found. Between April and July, Living Streets surveyed more than 23,000 parents across the Midlands and East of England asking them to share their experiences of the school run.
The results found that although a third (34%) of parents did drive their children to school only 16% wanted to. Concerns about safety appear to be the main reason why some parents opted for the car over active travel – with 39.8% wanting safer road crossings.
More than a quarter (27%) said wider pavements kept in good order would make it easier for their child to walk, cycle or scoot to school – while 25% wanted fewer cars near to schools.
Tim Egan, Sustrans interim head of delivery for the Midlands and East, said: “As pupils return to school this September the findings are another reminder to policymakers that people want to see more investment in active travel.”