I NOTE that Sustrans has published its latest Hands Up Scotland Survey of the means by which children travel to school (“Half of Scots pupils travel to school on foot or bike”, The Herald, May 26). The Sustrans report states that the survey has been "designated an Official Statistic by Parliamentary Order" and that it is funded by Transport Scotland.
The dataset is apparently intended to "provide evidence to inform school transport policies and initiatives".
This is all very laudable - however, the survey is based on the single question “How do you normally travel to school?” The response options which are permitted, are Walk/Cycle/Scooter/skate/Bus/• Park & stride/• Driven (car)/ Taxi/ Other.
Note that no account is taken of any change in the length of the journey to school. With school closures, the building of new schools remote from the site of the school they replace and increasing parental choice, it is more than likely that the length of the journey to school is also changing. The greater the length, the more likely it is that modes other than walking and cycling will prevail.
Why is journey length not included in the survey to give a much more complete picture, which would better inform school policies?
Ian Lawson,
22 Buchanan Street, Milngavie.
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