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Hampshire County Council has today pledged to continue its pilot projects to reduce school gate congestion despite Government's disappointing decision not to give any councils funding for such initiatives. In October 2007 The County Council put in a bid to be a School Travel Pathfinder proposing a package of measures to tackle school run congestion, increase educational choice, and increase the number of journeys to school by sustainable transport. The Government has shelved School Travel Pathfinders meaning none of the 23 authorities that put in bids have been successful in securing funding. The County Council's bid would have built on its current self-funded school travel pilots. These have seen the successful introduction of a number of measures in pilot areas, such as yellow buses, walking and cycling initiatives and a BusIT card, which encourages greater bus use for school journeys by making it cheaper and more convenient. Achievements to date are: • The three yellow buses in Basingstoke save on average 25 car journeys a day and in addition to reduced school gate congestion have helped improve pupil attendance • The BusIT pilot (covers schools in Eastleigh and Waterside) attracted 30,000 journeys in the first year. The BusIT card allows pupils at participating schools to travel to and from school for just £1 a day, including a change of bus if needed. • The walking and cycling pilot covering 10 Farnborough schools has seen a 7% reduction in the number of vehicles outside the school Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: "The Government's decision not to proceed with School Travel Pathfinders is very disappointing. Our pilot initiatives have shown what can be achieved and we will continue with these until 2010, as planned, despite the Government's change of heart. "Had we been awarded pathfinder status we could have used the results of our pilots to work up tailored packages that best met the travel needs for children attending 55 of our primary schools and just over half of our 71 secondary schools. In addition to being able to tackle school run congestion, extending our work to get pupils out of cars and onto buses, cycles or their own two feet would have had health and environmental benefits too." See Cabinet report for further information http://www.hants.gov.uk/decisions/decisions-docs/080512-cabine-R0502164553.html |
