In the UK, quoting statistics from Social Trends 1995, it seems that of the
average 742 journeys, including walking, of more than 1 mile (journeys under
1 mile are excluded) made each year by the average citizen, 21 are for
Escort Education (taking chidren to school), almost all by private car/van.
This represented just 3.1% of all car/van journeys.

In mileage terms the Escort Education journeys by car/van were just 1.3% of
the miles travelled by cars/vans in a year.

Given these small percentages of road-consumption, and given the evidence of
my own eyes in seeing hundreds of school children walking to school locally,
I ask myself why do I perceive school-run mums and dads as contributing
hugely to traffic congestion.

1) Journeys under a mile were not counted in the above statistics. A large
percent of today's total probably comes from very short journeys to schools.

2) Local schools tend to be on or close to urban main roads. The manoeuvring
of anxious parents trying to park near schools with no car facilities at
8.30-9am causes obstructions to the main traffic flow at peak hours. If each
UK citizen on average makes 21 journeys a year to/from schools that is 1,197
million journeys - or for a 120 school-days year, about 10 million a day.
Each potentially causing an obstruction to through traffic as they stop,
unload/load and turn the car.

3) In business terms, the school-run drivers are not in a hurry once they
have reached the school. Their dawdling further contributes to delaying
other traffic trying to pass the schools.

4) These local obstructions back-up traffic in both directions causing
queues of vehicles that burn fuel for far longer than they would on clear
run. This factor is the main cause of the increased air pollution. Journey
time is the key to street level air pollution.

5) In the UK, particularly in the SouthEast where road space, including on
main trunk roads, is close to gridlock, and especially in Greater London,
the local back-up effect stretches out to the main feeder roads, slowing
commercial traffic on trunk roads.

The problem might be reduced by:

a) Off-road car parks/facilities at the schools - recognising that the
horseless carriage is now used by plebians and peasants as well as by
aristocrats.

b) Banning cars from stopping, turning etc. within 200 metres of the schools
or near the main roads close to the school. This would create a large circle
around a school to accomodate the obstruction caused by parents/carers.
Ensure that no delivery vehicles arrive or leave the schools at peak times.

c) Adopt the USA Yellow School Bus service and ban cars from stopping within
200 metres of schools. Plan places for the buses to stop at the schools.

d) Create numerous attractive and safe footpaths and cycle paths to the
schools and encourage/enable the forming of school escort parties led by
parents for the safety of younger children. Such pathways could be planned
by the families attending the schools.

I applaud the Walk to School Day initiative. Is there a mechanism to count
the reduction of car/van journeys from the 10 million/day estimated above?

Noel Hodson
Mr Noel Hodson
14 Brookside OXFORD OX3 7PJ
Tel +44(0)1865 760994 Fax 764520
Email NoelHodson@...
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