Issued 18^th September 2008

All Aboard the Walking Bus

A Terenure National school is aiming to improve pupil fitness and cut traffic congestion at the school gates by starting its first Walking Bus.

St. Pius X National School on Fortfield Park started its Walking Bus from the Church car park on College Drive along College Park, Fortfield Avenue, and Fortfield Park on Tuesday last 16^th September 2008 to coincide with the commencement of European Mobility Week. The Bus will run each morning at 8.30am under the guidance of volunteer adult supervisors from the Parents Association and will take the same route every day.

The Walking Bus concept offers an alternative to the car for the school journey and it represents a sustainable mode of transport. As well as reducing traffic and congestion at the school gates there are many health, educational, and environmental benefits to the scheme; it provides opportunities to get exercise and fresh air at the start of the school day; opportunities for children to learn essential road safety skills that will be of benefit in later years when they become more independent; and of course its environmentally friendly producing no air or noise pollution.

The initiative is supported by South Dublin County Council. The Councils Road Safety Officer, Margaret Branyan, said that the Council receives quite a lot of correspondence regarding traffic congestion at school gates and she hoped that more schools across the County would consider introducing walking or cycling schemes to help alleviate the problem.

Ends.

For further information please contact: Margaret Branyan, Road Safety Officer, Roads & Traffic