Changing travel habits: Wednesday Challenge stats show car usage down, other ways of getting to school going up

Te Wharau School won the participation award of the Wednesday Challenge for September, and for their efforts received a cheque for $1000 which will go towards their new playground fund. Pictured after the cheque presentation are, from left, Julia-Rose Waite, Alaycia Tuhi and Shontella-Legacy Grace-Walker.Picture supplied

Schools here are “shifting the dial” on travel habits as part of a pilot programme.

Launched in September, Te Wero ia Wenerei (The Wednesday Challenge) encourages students to opt for better  ways of getting to and from school.

Run by the Tairāwhiti Environment Centre, project director Harley Dibble said just six weeks into the project, data collected during October from the eight participating schools had managed to shift the dial on travel habits.

“It’s amazing really. Despite all the challenges we have had in Tairāwhiti this year thanks to mother nature, through this pilot we have been able to engage with schools and drive car usage down, while increasing the number of students who are walking, biking, scootering, busing or carpooling to school.”

The October stats reflect an 11 percent decrease in the use of cars, a 22.5 percent increase in walking and 14 percent increase in bus usage. Other modes like carpooling and scootering have also shown increases.

“Considering some of our schools are in more remote places, that’s a great outcome and we look forward to seeing the stats continue to reflect growth in more environmentally friendly travel modes.”

The Challenge is supported by Hoe ki angitū – the Waka Kotahi Innovation Fund, set up to develop and accelerate innovative solutions to transport challenges.

“We know that reducing our car use, particularly for shorter trips like school drop-offs, has a huge positive impact on our environment,” Waka Kotahi future transport manager Lee McKenzie said.

“By supporting tamariki and whānau to use their cars less we can make a real change both toward our climate, and the health and wellbeing of our communities.  The Wednesday Challenge is a great example of how we can use innovative solutions, even at a community level, to tackle big challenges.”

Wainui Beach School, Kaiti School, Gisborne Central School, Te Wharau School, Cobham School, Ilminster Intermediate, Gisborne Girls ‘High School and Gisborne Boys’ High School are all participating, with other schools looking to join.

Harley said there was a host of benefits that came with the initiative, from environmental to health and wellbeing.

“Schools that take part log their students’ journeys each Wednesday and if the students opt for good modes, they earn points for their school and the chance to share in a prize pool of funding for the winning schools to spend on resources of their choice. We appreciate we are asking students, parents and whānau to have a go at changing their routines. So, we are rewarding them as part of the challenge.”

Kaiti School principal Billie-Jean Potaka said it was not about the prizes.

“It’s about making a change for ourselves and our taiao.  We have heard that many of our students have gone home and talked about te wero, developed a plan with whānau and are now participating. One class even had a 100 percent turnaround in the first week, from all getting rides to all walking, biking or scootering, which is awesome.”

Wainui Beach School deputy principal Mike Hope said he was seeing tangible evidence of the effects of the challenge.

“We have been tracking the number of students using the pedestrian crossing in the mornings and we have observed that the numbers have doubled.”

The pilot programme runs until the end of November.

Te Wero ia Wenerei is Tairāwhiti’s local roll-out of the Wednesday Challenge which was first launched in Tauranga during 2022 as a pilot programme. Other towns and cities across New Zealand are now keen to explore the programme for their community.