A common lamentation that one hears often today is how children’s ability to move around independently or child independent mobility (CIM)[1] has been curtailed as a result of traffic and ‘stranger’ danger. Simply put, parents in South Africa (and elsewhere) seem to have become increasingly afraid for the safety of their children and do not allow them to move about unaccompanied lest they be involved in road traffic crashes or become victims of crime. A mitigating action appropriate to both lower income neighbourhoods where traffic danger is relatively high as well as in the higher income neighbourhoods where feelings of stranger danger seem to be more prevalent may be voluntary ‘walking buses’.
A walking school bus or simply ‘walking bus’ is a group of children who walk to and from school under the supervision of adult volunteers, one of whom leads at the front (the ‘driver’) and another who supervises at the back (the ‘conductor’). The basic idea is that children are picked up either from their homes or from designated ‘bus stops’ along a set route and dropped off at school. This is reversed in the afternoon. The concept is attributed to David Engwicht (1993)[2], with the first ‘walking bus’ trialled in the United Kingdom in 1998. Since then, ‘walking buses’ have been introduced in many other parts of the developed world (e.g. Australia, New Zealand and the United States) and more recently in developing countries (e.g. in South Africa and Tanzania).
What are the benefits?
The increasing international popularity of ‘walking buses’ stems from their ability to incorporate greater physical activity into children’s lives and thereby address obesity problems, and to reduce traffic congestion within school precincts. Furthermore, adult supervision can ensure a safer journey to and from school, and child participation can facilitate the development of safe road use behaviours and build essential skills that can be used later when walking independently. Finally, ‘walking buses’ can provide children and parents with opportunities to build friendships, and can contribute to child development in the form of improved spatial cognition.
Who can set up a ‘walking bus’?
Anyone with an interest in making school travel safer and more sustainable can set up ‘walking buses’. This includes:
- Parents
- Schools
- NGOs working in the road safety/Active transport space
- Local government (e.g. municipalities)
Regardless of who initiates the process, it is important to bring other partners and stakeholders on board in order for the programme to be successful and sustainable. Parents are obviously important because they provide the permission for children to take part in the ‘walking bus’. However, they can also be involved as supervisors of the ‘walking bus’. Municipalities on the other hand can assist with improvements along the identified routes, providing reflective vests that help increase the visibility of ‘walking bus’ participants to motorists etc.
Determine interest levels
‘Walking buses’ can be very informal where parents who know each other come together and start a ‘walking bus’. In such instances, there is really no need to determine levels of interest at a school. However, for the more formal ‘buses’, the initial step before setting up a ‘walking bus’ is to determine the appetite for a ‘walking bus’ at a particular school both in terms of parents allowing their children to join a ‘walking bus’ as well as the willingness of parents to supervise the ‘walking buses’. This can be done in a variety of ways but the most common way is to conduct a survey at among parents (see for example Muchaka et al, 2011)[3]. Alternatively, a survey can be conducted at school gatherings e.g. parent meetings where those parents interested in joining can indicate their willingness to let their children take part and or their availability to supervise the ‘walking buses’. However, this can be problematic considering the low attendance of such meetings by parents.
Identify routes
It is also important to identify a route that is relatively safe to walk with a group of children. Issues to consider include where the participating children live, the availability of sidewalks, traffic volumes and route distance. With regard to the latter, the recommended maximum route length as found in literature is about 1km. However, route lengths ranging from 1,45-1,8km have been reported in Cape Town[4]. Once identified and agreed upon, the ‘walking bus’ should adhere to this route.
Identify supervisors
A ‘walking bus’ should have a minimum of two supervisors one who walks in front and one at the back. Should there be more, extra supervisors can be interspersed among the children. The choice of supervisors is mainly between parent supervisors on the one hand and other volunteers (e.g. Neighbourhood Watch members) on the other hand. A model that has been reported in the Cape Winelands District in the Western Cape is that of older children supervising younger children participating in the ‘walking bus’. This is likely to be more sustainable in the long run considering that the older children already walk to school anyway. Whichever type of supervisor you settle upon; it is important to ensure that the supervisors are given the requisite training covering among other things, the need to adhere to the route and timetable of the ‘walking bus’, how to properly supervise a ‘walking bus’, what to do when problems arise etc.
Scheduling
Once the children and supervisors have been identified and the route identified, a timetable should be developed that shows the pick-up points and afternoon drop-off points (in the case of ‘walking buses’ that operate in the afternoon). The schedule should clearly indicate the names of the children who will be picked up at each ‘bus stop’ and at what time they will be picked up. It is the responsibility of a parent/care giver to take their child or children to the ‘bus stop’. In this regard, it is advisable to take one’s child to his/her stop at least five minutes before the designated time.
Start small
The temptation is to start with a large number of children and many ‘buses’ catering for more than one route from the onset. However, it might be best to start with one or two buses and with fewer children and let the programme grow. The ‘walking bus’ does not necessarily have to start operating on all weekdays. Starting small allows you to iron out any issues that may arise. As the success of the ‘bus’ or ‘buses’ become apparent, even those parents who may initially be sceptical are more are likely to want to join.
Launch your walking bus
An official launch can help to publicise the walking bus programme at the school or in the community thereby attracting even more parents. This also provides an excellent opportunity for stakeholders in the ‘walking bus’ programme to meet and touch base. Therefore, if resources permit consider a launch at the school where you invite stakeholders.
Do not despair
Reading the above, one might get the impression that all will be smooth sailing. It most likely will not. People change their minds, plans change and some parents who might have initially indicated their interest can no longer join. In some cases, supervisors on the roster do not pitch up. All this can drive even the most enthusiastic of parents into despair. The advice is to have clearly spelt out rules for your ‘walking bus’ e.g. on what to do when a child is late, a supervisor on duty does not pitch up, what to do in cases of inclement weather and so on. This allows you to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. We also advise you not to lose hope but to persevere and seek assistance. In this regard, you are most welcome to contact us for advice/assistance via the contact details provided on our website.
References
[1] Hillman, M., Adams, J. & Whitelegg, J. (1990) One False Move: a study of children’s independent mobility. London: Policy Studies Institute.
[2] Engwicht, D. (1993) Reclaiming our cities and towns: Better living with less traffic. New Society Publishers. Philadelphia
[3] Muchaka P., Behrens, R. and Abrahams, S. (2011) Learner travel behaviour and parent attitudes towards the use of non-motorised travel modes. 30th Southern African Transport Conference, Pretoria.
[4] Muchaka, P., & Behrens, R. (2012) Evaluation of a ‘walking bus’ demonstration project in Cape Town: Qualitative findings, implications and recommendations. 31st Southern African Transport Conference, Pretoria.
