3 days Ago
IT IS “INSANE” that children are “driven to school from across the road” in urban areas and better alternative methods of transport, such as paths and bike lanes, should be made available Róisín Garvey, the deputy leader of the Green Party, has said. She claimed that a “quarter” of children under nine years told are overweight is partly a result of them being “driven everywhere” and said that more needs to be done to incentivise public transport. Garvey and her party leader Roderic O’Gorman were asked whether the Greens would support extending free public transport measures for children travelling to and from school at the party’s think in in Dublin this morning.
The Greens already announced today that it would be supporting measures to make further cuts to the cost of public transport, by making services free-to-use for children under the age of 9. O’Gorman reasoned that this measure would create good habits for younger generations and reduce the travel cost that families face. He added that his party would like to make school transport more accessible, particularly in rural areas, and extend services to as many students as possible.
Since the beginning of the new term, bus services operating school runs have been in many areas around the country . O’Gorman said that the Department of Education is working to resolve the issue. “I think expansion of programmes like that would be really welcome.
It’s beneficial. It has an environmental benefit, it has a cost-saving benefit and it has a time-saving benefit for so many parents,” he added. Picking up on her colleague’s comments, Garvey said: “What we need to expand is the space we give to our children who are trying to get to school safely.
” The Senator said the use of cars and the over reliance on private vehicles in Ireland is “still a huge issue”, adding that pedestrian crossings and footpaths should be prioritised, particularly in urban areas. She added: “A quarter of our nine year olds are overweight. That’s because they have to be driven everywhere.
We have to take this seriously.” A recent report, , by the HSE found that approximately 20% of primary school children are considered overweight or obese. The report suggested healthy eating and a balanced diet as a method to help children make a healthy weight.
Garvey said other urban planners should look to the as an example of how to better prioritise more sustainable methods of transport..
