Active Transport To and From School

Nearly one-third of all children spend less than 5 minutes walking per day. Inactive children are more likely to be overweight or obese.  Getting to and from school is a great way to incorporate some extra physical activity into your child's day.  Most people live close enough to the local primary school to be able to either walk or cycle to school.

There are a number of key benefits from using active transport to and from school:

• You can incorporate more physical activity into your day
• You can help to decrease traffic congestion, noise and pollution in your local neighborhood
• You can help create a safer environment around the school. Parents should be aware that children face a greater potential risk from vehicle accidents outside school than they do from stranger danger.
• Your children will enjoy the social aspect of walking or cycling with friends
• You will feel more a part of the local community
• You can teach your child essential road safety skills
• You can spend some quality time together each day

Children whose parents are not able to walk them to school should consider using a Walking School Bus or other similar active transport program. A Walking School Bus is a group of school children who walk to and from school along a safe and enjoyable set route, accompanied by a minimum of two parents or volunteer supervisors per bus. One parent leads the group at the front of the bus, while the other supervises at the rear. Additional parents may be needed depending on the local requirements. The walking school bus picks up passengers along the way at designated stops. The service is free and every child is welcome to join the bus even if their parents cannot be drivers.

Check your local council website to see if they are involved in facilitating the program. More information about active transport programs can be found at:

• VicHealth - information about the Streets Ahead program in Victoria
• Travelsmart - national information with contact details for local buses and how to set up a Walking School Bus if one is not in operation already in your area

Each year the Pedestrian Council of Australia organises a National Walk to School Day to encourage parents and children to leave the car at home and use their feet to get to school. More information about this year's Walk To School Day can be found here.

VicHealth also orgnanises a Victorian Walk to School Day as part of the annual Walktober program of walking events across the state. More information about Walktober Walk To School Day can be found here

Cycling to school is another excellent alternative to driving the car. It can be alternated with walking for variety. Many children love to ride their bicycle and it can be a terrific way to increase physical activity whilst having a lot of fun. Schools need to ensure that plenty of bicycle racks are provided and ideally there is a separate entrance for cyclists away from motor traffic. Children and parents can work together to plan an interesting route to school and cycling together is an excellent opportunity to discuss and practice road safety rules. Young children always need to be supervised on bicycles as they can be impulsive and unpredictable on the road.

For more information about cycling to school go to Bicycle Victoria

The following Walking School Bus case studies have been supplied with kind permission from VicHealth. These case studies describe stories of active Walking School Bus projects, discussing some of the obstacles they faced and how they were overcome. Click on the PDF link to download each case study.

• Green Man Gets the Greenlight in Port Philip
• Breakfast Bus Pumps Up Lake Tyers
• Moonee Valley's Movers and Shakers
• Many Legs Make Life Work in Nillumbik
• Phillip Island's Other Bikers
• Improving Safety in a Roundabout Way
• East Meets West in the South

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