Walking buses gain windfall

By AMIE RICHARDSON

Primary schools in Auckland will get $100,000 to set up "walking school buses" to lower traffic congestion around school gates.

The Infrastructure Auckland funding could save tens of thousands of car trips during peak-time traffic a year.

The "bus" has at least two adults, including a "warden" and a "driver" walking to and from school with a group of 20 to 30 children.

The routes are about 1.5km long, with "bus stops" where children meet.

The move comes after six Auckland primary schools cut traffic congestion by setting up their own walking buses.

Roadsafe Auckland said the results had impressed Infrastructure Auckland enough to support the venture.

Roadsafe Auckland spokeswoman Catherine Harland said walking buses were an innovative way of getting children to school safely and relieving the "congestion and chaos" at the school gates.

It cost about $1500 to set up the service, which included buying bus-stop signs, driver sashes and identification badges for the children on the buses.

Infrastructure Auckland manager of transport Roger Hill said the walking bus project differed from most other Infrastructure Auckland-financed projects.

But it would effectively reduce traffic.

Parents would no longer have to make unnecessary trips to the school to drop off their children and this would reduce congestion around the schools.

"The concept works.

"It's a great little project, the proof is in the pudding."

Mr Hill said Infrastructure Auckland would provide funds only. The decision whether a school should be funded would be made by Roadsafe Auckland, based on whether the school was in a highly congested area and there were enough interested volunteers.

Gladstone Primary School, the first in Auckland to start the walking buses, reports a "stunning success" with what it calls "Zippy's Walking Bus".

The school received $1500 from the Auckland City Council to set up the bus plus a $1500 research grant from the Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation.

Last year, the school also received another Roadsafety Auckland grant to evaluate the effectiveness of the project.

Principal Colin Dale said "Zippy" carried 30 to 60 children a day and had definitely reduced traffic around the school entrance.

Feature: Getting Auckland moving