To not understand why so many people drive their dc to and from secondary school?

[Dancergirl]

Surely once at secondary school dc should get themselves to and from unless it's really not possible to get there by public transport?

Someone I know - her dd has started Year 7 at a local secondary. There is an easy and convenient school bus. But she's driving her and picking up every day even though she also has younger dc at primary!

At dd1's school (she's currently Year 8), it seems lots of her friends are driven to and from. Some live locally and there are very good public transport links.

Why?? Am I missing something?

Not quite sure what the dispute is here by noting fewer school generated trips in school hols, I am not disregarding the dip in work commuting - it happens every weekend .

but there is a correlation between trips generated by taking children to school and issues with congestion and parking around schools as well as a wider impact. The solution to these issues should be debated. I think it is valid to question what makes parents drive their children to school, what barriers there are to using other modes of transport.

Well. Of course the traffic is increased during term time.
That doesn't mean that school run traffic is less important/ valid than non school run traffic.
I can see that congestion is a problem but we tolerate all kinds of traffic. There are thousands of ppl who drive to work/ shops etc who don't "need" to. If they walked/ took the bus.... The traffic would be lighter, including at term time. But the bashing is reserved for parents taking their children to school.
Personally, I think it's folly to drive someone to school purely to save them a 20 minute walk/ avoid messing up their hair. But I don't believe that many ppl do that tbh.

I always assumed usa they pay for school buses they seem to be way of life there ahh the joy of not doing school run.

Well we pay for them in that they come out of taxes, but you don't pay to use them generally. Our school system of about 1500 students has about 14 buses.

Elementary schools have to start and finish at a different time to middle/high schools so that the buses are used efficiently.

Middle/high school run 7.30 to 2.30
Elementary school runs 8.20 to 3.10

The HUGE upside is that they always have buses available for school trips and sporting events, so they almost never have to hire coaches, so trips are very cheap.

We drive our older ones as we live out the area, we drop them off near it, then make them walk to us at the primary where we collect the younger ones. We used to live closer (under 2 miles away) and the dc all walked, rain or shine. They didn't melt .

Parents pulling out into oncoming traffic without looking outside the secondary (we don't drop off at the school, but further up the road) are one of the reasons we have a dashboard camera! Too many scary near-misses.

Thanks wobbly good to know

so london school transport and usa funded.

rest of uk pay £600+get their child into school-madness.

school buses would mean lot less traffic on rd.

all very well saying encourage them walk

but rd and pavements very dangerous around dd1 primary school and council do nothing.

i really dont blame parents driving sheer cost, time and safety must be majority factor.