Concerns over Numbers Driven to School

The Dublin Transportation Office has written to 1,000 schools in the Greater Dublin area seeking their assistance in partaking in a public survey to try and identify the reasons for the huge growth in the number of children now being driven to school.

The number of primary school pupils walking to school has halved while the number of primary and secondary pupils cycling is down by 80%. Most school children are now travelling by car instead even though one third of school trips are for less than one mile and 60% are for less than two miles.

The DTO are concerned about the impact this is having on morning traffic congestion in Dublin and are keen to find out what’s behind these developing trends.

The survey will involve the self-completion of 140,000 questionnaires by pupils or their parents. The DTO says the results of the survey will influence the future planning of transporation strategy in the Greater Dublin area.