Walking buses
A walking bus is the name for a supervised group of children
walking to or from school.
It is made up of at least 2 adult volunteers, who act as a
'driver' and a 'conductor' and escort the children. Adults and
children all wear high-visibility waistcoats.
The bus follows a set route and 'walks' to a published
timetable. Children can join or leave the bus at set points along
the route. The decision on when a walking bus operates is left to
the school and volunteers; it doesn't have to operate morning and
afternoon, or even every day.
Walking buses depend totally on support from volunteers. For a
scheme to succeed, volunteers need to be enthusiastic and
committed.
A lead co-ordinator needs to be identified to be the main
contact for the walking bus. He or she must be someone the school
knows.
For more information, visit the KM Walk to School Team
website or read our
walking bus guidelines (PDF, 2.4MB).
What are the benefits of a walking bus?
The Walking bus scheme can benefit children, parents, the school
and the local community by:
- developing pedestrian and social skills
- promoting healthy exercise
- saving time for parents
- developing children's independence, whilst in a supervised
environment
- reducing traffic congestion around schools
- improving air quality.
How can my school set up a walking bus?
Your head teacher needs to:
- find out how much interest there is among parents as they will
ultimately be responsible for the success of a walking bus
scheme
- contact either us to speak with your School Travel Planner or
the
Kent Messenger Walk to School Team who will help you
set up and promote the scheme.