Pupils put school travel plans into motion

STUDENTS have become regional pathfinders in a pilot initiative looking at community travel issues.

Darlington School of Mathematics and Science is working with Darlington Borough Council’s Local Motion project on a range of travel to school concerns.

Subjects include bus times and fares, the safety of crossing roads without lollipop ladies, cycle safety and the impact of traffic.

Initial findings have revealed that 80 per cent of DSMS students already use sustainable travel to get to school.

Year 7 and 8 students have formed a special committee to address transport issues which will highlight key areas and discuss them with their peers school-wide.

Its student chairman Peter Gartland said: “We had a workshop with a theatre company last year which gave us some ideas and now we plan to survey the whole school to see what students think.”

Local Motion cycling officer Kevin Kilcullen and travel to school officer Sally Hunter helped the students in the first of four Go Your Own Way project meetings.

Kevin said: “Young people are concerned about how they get to school and this brand new project will be a pilot for the region.”