Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

AA parents feel nervous allowing their kids to walk to school

AA parents feel nervous allowing their kids to walk to school

Auckland parents and some schools actively discourage children from walking and cycling to school due to a lack of safety infrastructure, AA surveys have found.

The findings – from surveys of AA Members and working directly with some central Auckland schools over the past two years – highlight the desperate need for Auckland Transport (AT) to invest in simple safety infrastructure like road signs around schools. With new funding earmarked from the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP), this will hopefully change.

“Parents want to be in a position to let their kids walk or cycle to school – they don’t want to be negotiating tricky parking spaces, or experiencing the high-tension pick-up environment occurring at schools across the region,” says Vanessa Wills, Senior Advisor – Infrastructure.

“What parents and communities want to know is that road safety investment is being made so our most vulnerable road users can navigate their own way to and from school – safely. This doesn’t need to be complex; we mean things like variable speed signs, more pedestrian crossings, or a bit of red carpet treatment where we know cars need to slow down.”

“More kids walking and cycling to school means less drop-offs, and that means less congestion – which benefits everyone.”

The AA’s surveys have indicated there is a theme running across Auckland schools: they often feel disconnected from AT, lack a direct point of contact, and are struggling to get investment for simple safety infrastructure nearby which would keep kids safer, says Ms Wills.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

What the AA doesn’t want to see is ad hoc investment where it isn’t needed.

“We’re looking for robust decision-making processes that will keep our kids safe, but every school is different and presents its own set of safety challenges. The on-the-ground knowledge from schools should be taken on board by AT and not ignored because it doesn’t tick all the boxes,” Ms Wills says.

Ms Wills notes there’s been a game-changer thrown into the mix with the recently announced increased funding to safety programmes from the RLTP to $900 million over the next 10 years.

“The RLTP earmarked funding means AT’s budget for road safety has tripled. We want to see a decent chunk of that investment go into schools across Auckland that need it.”

An essential part of the bigger picture is communication. AT needs to ensure that schools across Auckland engage with their AT Travelwise liaison regularly, and that those liaisons are in a position to effect real change. We can’t have situations where requests for infrastructure – like safe pedestrian crossings – go unanswered.

“We know of local schools desperate to see some investment into road safety on the surrounding streets and until then they’re left wondering if it’s going to take a death to see any action here, and that shouldn’t be the case” Ms Wills says.

“With the new-found ability to fund more road safety projects for schools, we believe AT can establish higher-quality communication with their key stakeholders – their schools – and invest wisely in infrastructure that will ensure parents and communities feel comfortable letting children walk and cycle to school.”

Ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.