Kids keen not to miss walking bus

GOING to school has never been more fun.

And it makes for a safe and healthy trip - without parking or traffic hassles.

The latest Walking School Bus (WSB) initiative is aimed at encouraging youngsters to use their feet.

“We know that children today are less active than previous generations,” said Ceara Murphy of sponsors Capri-Sun yesterday.

“Walking to and from school is an easy way to help children get their recommended 60 minutes of exercise each day.”

School journeys can account for 20% of all traffic in the mornings.

So the WSB can contribute to a decrease in local traffic, benefiting the entire community.

It also offers children a chance to learn about road safety from an early age, helping them feel confident and equipped to deal with traffic.

The WSB idea is a big hit in Australia and the US. Parents who get involved describe the experience as positive.

A typical response from parents is that it gets them all walking more and the children do not complain about walking as much.

And both children and parents get to know each other better.

Statistics have shown that more children are driven to school every day in this country than by all other modes of transport combined.

Only one child in four walks to school. And there are reports of an increasing trend of obesity in youngsters, with 20% of our children overweight.

In a walking school bus, a parent ‘drives’ at the front, followed by the children in the middle, with another parent at the rear.

Along the route, children wait for the ‘bus’ at designated stops.

For more information: www.walkingschoolbus.ie