Walking bus
Suitable for primary school pupils and their parents/carers. Supports EYFS and PE National Curriculum.
Overview
Programme
Education phase
Categories of activity
Types of activity
How it helps
- Supports EYFS and PE National Curriculum
- Eases congestion at schools gates
- Opportunity for JTA involvement
Useful Links
Visit the TfL Journey PlannerAbout the activity
Walking buses are a sociable and active way to travel to school. They allow pupils to learn about their local environment while reducing congestion and pollution at the school gates.
Pupils and volunteers meet at an agreed time and location and walk a set route to school in a group, picking up ‘passengers’ along the way. The same is done in reverse for the walk home.
While the walking bus can be initiated and supported by the school, it works best when run informally by parent and carer volunteers. You can gather interest and support the group to identify the most suitable meeting points and safest routes.
This activity can be linked with route planning and Park and Stride.
You can also involve your Junior Travel Ambassadors (JTA) in planning the routes and meeting points. Use TfL’s journey planning app or try walkit.com to help plan your routes.
What you’ll need
- A group of organised parents/carers to coordinate the walking bus or buses!
- Hi-vis jackets or badges to make volunteers easily recognisable and stand out during the darker months
- Promotion of walking buses on your school notice board and in newsletters
Activity steps
Step 1
Recruit volunteers. Promote the idea of a walking bus on notice boards or in your newsletter and see who is able to volunteer to get the bus up and running
Step 2
Gather your group. Offer a classroom or other meeting space for the group to meet one another and start planning
Step 3
Test the route. First walk the route without pupils, then invite families who live nearby to join the walking bus
Step 4
Start simple. Start with a small bus and see how it goes. You can then gradually introduce more routes on more days with more pupils on board!
Step 5
Share stories. Ask pupils to share their walking bus stories in class and assemblies. This will help to promote the idea and get more families involved
Step 6
Tell your story. Upload your evidence to "my activities".