This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Best feet forward this morning
08/10/2003
Walking children to school helps to keep kids active and reduce congestion on our roads, Transport Minister Nicol Stephen said today.
The Minister said the Executive was providing money to local authorities to introduce 20 mph zones around schools, improve safe routes to school and support a number of street safety awareness programmes for children.
Mr Stephen said:
"I fully support Walk to School Day. Walking children to school not only gives parents quality time with their children, but also helps to keep kids active and reduce traffic congestion."
"In order to encourage more people to walk their children to school the Executive is providing £27 million to local authorities to introduce 20 mph speed limits around schools and other road safety projects.
"Last month we also announced a total of £16.85 million in funding to local authorities over 2004-06 for cycling, walking and safer streets projects (CWSS), including safer routes to school.
"The Scottish Executive is committed to improving children's road safety and reducing the number of children killed and injured on Scotland's roads. Significant progress has already been made in reducing these deaths and injuries, but there are still too many tragic incidents.
He added:
"To help children learn more about road safety we have also launched a road safety teaching resource, 'Streetsense', for use in Scottish primary schools to educate school students about road safety issues. The Scottish Road Safety Campaign, which is funded by the Executive, developed the package.
"We are also giving local authorities funds to appoint school travel co-ordinators, who can promote active travel choices, best practice in individual schools and advise on cycling, walking and safer street allocations. The Executive is providing £750,000 in 2003/04, rising to £1 million in the next two financial years towards this.
"By improving safety around schools we hope to encourage more young people to walk and cycle to school."
An overall total of £27 million is being made available for local authorities acrossScotlandover three years from 2003-04 to 2005-06 to introduce 20 mph schemes and other road safety projects.
It is for each local authority to determine its priorities for action under these themes. The Executive will work with local authorities and the police on how best to implement 20 mph limits at schools on roads with existing speed limits of 40 mph or more .
Last month Mr Stephen also announced a total of £16.85 million in funding to local authorities over 2004-06 for cycling, walking and safer streets projects (CWSS), including safer routes to school .
Local authorities were also allocated nearly £21 million ring-fenced funding over the period 2000-2004 for such CWSS projects.