As many residents also rely on public transport, the council is facilitating an extra 28 buses at peak times to add capacity to the network. This will enable social distancing where necessary on busy routes.

Cllr Sandra Moore, portfolio holder for Children and Families at BCP Council, said,

“The health benefits of fresh air and regular exercise are well known. With flexible and home working practices becoming more prevalent, many of you might be able to find time to walk or cycle your children to school and enjoy some quality family time that we simply didn’t have before lockdown.”

Cllr Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for Transport and Infrastructure, said, “We hope that as life starts to feel more normal you may choose more active ways to get to and from school. It’s good for you, contributes towards a cleaner environment and relieves pressure on the public transport network and will also help alleviate the car congestion we see across the conurbation on the journey to school or college. Importantly active travel can also be fun time spent together for adults and children.”

Some families who live further away have no other choice than to use the car, but the council hopes people can try to park further away from school and walk for at least part of their journey. Parking is also restricted at and around many local schools and people are advised to avoid driving to the school gate.