To think the 3 mile rule for school transport is unfair and not fit for the current time?

[WellThatsMeScrewed]

My eldest does not get transport to her secondary school because we live 2.89 miles away from her secondary school. Supposedly she can walk this.

It would involve crossing 3 lots of dual carriageways, walking along a unlit busy road.

It’s just not fair.

The 3 mile rule is from some archaic time where there was hardly any traffic.

@Cornettoninja

I completely disagree. 3 miles in an hour is a brisk enough walking pace for a child (laden with files, instruments and sports gear).

IMO and speaking as a teacher it would put those children at a disadvantage in comparison to their peers who have travelled to school over a similar distance via bus in under 10 minutes.

I wouldn't walk an hour to and from work and I think it is an unreasonable request.

It doesn't take an hour to walk 3 miles though!

How long would it take then?

It takes me just shy of 1 hour to walk 3 mile when I am out for a walk and I am of average fitness and not laden with bags and equipment.

I am astounded by the expectations of children by some people.

I wouldn't walk an hour to and from work and I think it is an unreasonable request

see, I would and have (although granted not carrying pe kit and books, though I did at school but it took an hour because I fannied about with friends) so it only goes to show that people will have varying levels of expectations. I don’t think a regular hours journey by any means (car, bus, walking) is outrageous.

I don’t know what to tell you other than I wouldn’t be arguing that because I think that’s fine if that’s the best option for something essential. 🤷‍♀️

Really depends on the roads, the nearest dual carriageway to us is around 4 miles long and 70mph limit from one end to the other with no (zero) crossing points, traffic lights, zebra crossings, overpasses or underpasses. It's the only dualled bi on that road for 10 more miles going west and east so the last overtaking point for most cars getting past lorries/tractors etc. It is lethal for anyone trying to cross on foot as the lorries are doing 60 and the cars anything up to 90 on it. Trying to cross it in a car is frightening on foot I just wouldn't.

Come off it!! No one wants their children doing that if they can help it.

I used to regularly cycle 10 miles each way to work, but if the weather was poor, I was running late, felt a bit under the weather or had a lot of stuff to carry then I took the car. I'm all for active travel, but it really isn't always practical for everyone.
I think the point about how much stuff kids typically carry to school these days is a good one. There are days when I struggle to lift my DS's bag and I certainly wouldn't care to walk or cycle 3 miles with it, even on a decent route. He has far more to carry than I ever did at school. For a start, he takes his lap top every day, and I think Bring Your Own Device schemes are the norm at most of the secondary schools round here so that's not unusual. Then he has a full bag of sports kit most days and a guitar at least once a week. Not to forget books of course, and he does need to bring them home for homework. It would be possible no doubt, but not desirable, especially in winter.
Whilst it's easy to say that it's fine, I suspect that if we are completely honest most of us wouldn't really want our children to be walking 3 miles each way carrying heavy (and potentially theft-worthy) items in all weathers day in day out for years, or be particularly keen to do it ourselves. Especially if the walking route was less than ideal and especially in the exam years when that time could be more usefully spent.

Yes it bleeding does for most people unless you keep up a very brisk pace the entire way and don’t stop for any reason like for traffic or at lights. And the terrain is flat at all all times. I am a quick walker and could do it in just under an hour in the above conditions. Does it sound like something a child would be able to achieve?

My daughter is 2.5 miles from school and sometimes walks home - maybe twoce a week. I have done the route and it took me, an adult walking at a brisk pace with no school equipment, 45 minutes. I put the route into Google Maps and it came up as 50 minute walk. 3 miles would take almost an hour.

Is that some kind of rule? Does it apply to everyone regardless of age, health, disability, amount of stuff they have to carry, the terrain. Never heard that before

Every day is certainly a school day on here, however you get there

I was in this situation a while ago with my DC
first I got them to re measure the route we fell short by 3 foot 10 inches! They measure from end of driveway to school gate so if it was from my front door to school door we would have got free school bus pass
then I contacted the police who wrote a supporting letter stating the shortest route the LA suggested and had measured was unsafe
I still lost my appeal
This was quite a few years ago and I had to pay £1200 a year for school bus pass (£600 per DC) as a lone parent on a low income this was a real struggle

Previous MNers (other threads) have insisted they can comfortably walk 5mph. 6mph if they push hard. Doesn't happen for me, either.

Adult teen DS (6'1") can probably walk about 5mph. His friends shout at him for "showing off!" when he does that. I know his determined brisk walk pace is about my jogging pace). I don't know if he could sustain that pace for an hour, though.

Well a quick google for average walking pace comes up with numbers ranging from 2.5 mph to 3-4.5mph and Naismith's rule for calculating walking times in hills suggests 1 hour per 3 miles plus an extra hour for every 2000ft of ascent. Those are average adult figures.
Admittedly it's unlikely the OP's DD will be doing thousands of feet of ascent but the route may not be completely flat, and an 11 year old girl is unlikely to have the same stride length of an average adult, so an hour or slightly more for 3 miles doesn't seem like an unreasonable estimate to me.

While I think you do need to argue on safety grounds and council are unlikely to budge from the 3 miles

I do agree 3 miles for kids to walk is quite far. I also agree 2 miles for primary kids is too far.
Round here councils generally operate buses at 2 miles and 1 mile. A few years ago they tried to cost cut and change to the legal 3 miles and 2 miles, parents argued on safety grounds (unlit sections of road, sections without pavement, traffic speed etc) council very quickly dropped the idea.

If you read the majority of the responses that's not what they said.
The suggestion was to engage the council and have the route checked. If what you say about 3 duel carriageways is true, you'll probably get a ruling, but get off your backside and do something about it. If you don't nobody else will.

surely they dont Have to walk
they could walk
but presumably they can catch a bus, which you pay for?

I do think that's when people are thinking of picking schools that are 15-20+ miles away, but I get what you mean. And I agree expecting children to walk 3 miles to school, (especially laden with all the gear they'd need with them,) is just ludicrous, and mean. And it's especially bad it's partly along a dual carriageway FFS!

The way some people are going on on here, they'd happily send children down a mine and up a chimney as soon as they're able to walk. You know, the 'I used to walk 17 miles in 5 foot of snow, with a broken ankle, and an elephant strapped to my back' type of poster.

@basilmint Ignore the first sentence of my last post! I read what you said properly now. Yes you're right, people say an hour each way is too much for a commute for a child and the parents to DRIVE or go on public transport, but think it's OK for a CHILD to walk a dangerous route alone for an hour..

I am sure you'll get the 'oh it's almost as if there are many different posters with different views' comments now. But it's right what you say.

Most people on MN are not too bright and won’t be happy until everyone is destitute, walking bare foot and eating gruel so everyone can be in poverty and as miserable as them.

Walking 6 miles a day is ridiculous on top of a school day. These are growing children and will use more energy than most anyway. I know two children who were hit and killed on their safe route to school. One on a country lane the other on a “safe” dual carriage way. So all the ridiculous posters saying it’s ok can get straight back in their box. You sound ridiculous.

@Whyareyouasking 100% agree. ^

If the child is fit and the route is pavemented I think it’s reasonable though not ideal.

unreasonable If either the child is physically not able or it’s along country lanes with no safe way to walk.

Talk about a nanny state!
Can't she just get the bus? Or organise a lift share. Presumably you knew she'd be 3 miles or so away, when you bought your house.

I think it too much and the distance should be 2 miles for high school and 1.5 for primary. The amount of books, pe kit including football boots and packed lunch you have to take in your school bag. It can be heavy to carry. Imagine when it's pouring with rain too, you'd be soaked.

This. ^