Sustrans have launched the first Children’s Walking and Cycling Index which sets out to uncover the accessibility of active travel to children and their attitude towards it.
In the foreword to the report, Sustrans’ Chief Executive Xavier Brice says: ‘Children’s views on travel are too often overlooked by decision-makers. Where they are considered, the focus tends to be on the school journey.
‘This leaves out the vital role that travel plays in children’s day-to-day lives, supporting the development of their independence, socialisation skills and overall mental health and wellbeing.’
1,089 children, aged between 6 and 15, were surveyed for the report in May last year as part of YouGov’s Children and Parents Omnibus Survey.
One of the main findings was the gender gap that exists in cycling, with only 17% of girls saying they cycled at least times a week, compared to 28% of boys.
Lily, a secondary school girl from Swansea, said: ‘I did have a bike and I used to cycle around my neighbourhood and parks, but I grew out of it. I think many girls my age don’t really tend to cycle or use bikes. It’s not really seen as cool and we can be quite self-conscious about that.’
Anita in North Belfast added: ‘I think I cycle quite a lot. I don’t really walk that much.
‘When I am older, I don’t know if I will cycle because I don’t see many older girls on bikes. 14 or 15 year old girls go on the bus or their parents drive them.’
On the other hand, more than half (51%) of the children surveyed want to cycle more but currently only 48% get on a bike at least once a week.
Both walking and cycling to school have fallen since 2002, indeed Sustrans point out that there has been a steady decline in children getting about independently.
Asked what might encourage them to cycle more, 81% supported the idea of more traffic-free paths and quiet routes for walking and cycling
A similar number would like to see all children given cycle training while 88% believed they would take advantage of free travel on public transport.
James in Birmingham said: ‘When I joined school in year seven, I wanted to cycle in, but my parents decided it was too dangerous. But then new cycle paths
were put in on my route and that convinced them to let me cycle.’
Rachel Toms, Director of Urbanism and UK Programmes for report authors Sustrans, said: ‘Children want to cycle and expect our leaders to tackle the barriers stopping them. We’re asking local and national policymakers to act on children’s enthusiasm for cycling by making sure they invest in more traffic-free and quiet cycle paths so that more children feel safe to get on their bike and get all the lifestyle and health benefits cycling offers.”
‘Children’s views on transport are too often overlooked by policymakers. We look forward to working with local authorities to improve streets for children, making it safer and more accessible for everyone to get around actively and so we don’t leave girls behind.’
Download the full report here.