The Kent Walking Bus

There are a wide range of factors that prompt parents and teachers into getting a Walking Bus started. In this section of the Walking Bus site we give each of the schemes operating in Kent an opportunity to explain why they set up a 'bus' and what lessons they can pass on to those just starting.
They detail the routes of their 'bus' to help promote their scheme.

We set up the bus to reduce road traffic & increase road awareness, as well as to improve health & safety for the children. This has been very successful.

The Minster Walking Bus was conceived during the latter part of 1998, following the suggestions of the schools PFA to cut down on the number of parents taking and collecting their children to school which created its' own congestion problems around the vicinity of the school causing traffic jams in our small village. The PFA recognised this was going to worsen with the village attracting more families and new houses being built and something had to be done.

The concept of the walking bus had been seen on television and the St Albans blueprint in Hertfordshire was taken up. We started the Minster Walking Bus in January 1999 after having the full co-operation of the Head teacher, members of teaching staff and the schools health committee. After writing to all of the parents and children at Minster School we asked who would want to take part in volunteering to walk the children to school morning and afternoons preferably on a rota system.

We planned the route according to the responses received and the number of volunteers available. We discussed how long the route would be and the best way to take the children avoiding the main roads as much as possible. Once established the route was put forward to the KCC highways road safety officers who walked the route to provide guidance and ultimately approve it.

The route was discussed and according to where the children lived with points on the route where we would collect children in the morning or parents wait for them in the afternoon and these were designated as our nominal 'bus stops'.

We started out with 15 -20 children using the bus and today we take on average 36 children each day. We estimate a saving of approximately 22 cars being used taking children to school which helps to reduce the congestion at peak time in the morning and afternoon, however, there is room for improvement and we have seen many new children using our bus over the last year as we promote the Minster Walking Bus through the school, the KM newspaper Thanet Extra, and the Walking Bus Group. The Minster Walking Bus is a resounding success and we proudly boast of it being the first of its kind in Kent.

In June 2003 we started a second bus in our village incorporating a breakfast club from 7.30am and an afternoon club at 3.30pm. Again this has been growing on the back of a successful formula and the dedication of volunteer parents who give their time freely to the good of their community.

The walking bus has had a positive impact on our village and is now well known in the whole of Kent and beyond. We are always referred to when new schemes are being set up and it is not unusual for us to have guest visitors from County/ District councils or parent and Governors from other schools walking with the Minster children to see how it's done. Brian Portanier together with Julie Mayo are the main organisers with Anita Padfield organising the second bus.

The children enjoy being on the bus as they are able to chat with their friends, whilst learning about road safety. Some of our older children look after the younger walkers as their 'Buddies'. Also, according to several studies undertaken recently, children who walk to school produce better results in class as opposed to pupils who travel in by car! Also, walking to school keeps our youngsters fitter and more active.

From this other schools have used our blue print to set up their own buses. For the future, we are in the early stages of setting up Minster Bus Number three and researching the proposed route is under way.