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CHILDREN'S ATTITUDES TO SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

CHAPTER NINE CASE STUDY RESULTS

RESULTS OF DISCUSSION GROUPS

9.1 The results of the discussion groups are summarised here and provided in detail in Appendix 3 where details of the case study schools are also provided.

Primary Schools

9.2 Children at primary school level were generally enthusiastic about walking and cycling and recognised the health and environmental benefits of these modes. These modes provided them with personal freedom, independence, ability to explore their surroundings alone and with friends, and also provide fun. These modes allowed travel for its own sake as well as for specific journey purposes. This was generally the case across both genders. In almost all cases, there was latent demand for making more specific journeys by bike, especially for boys. Limitations were parental choice related to safety and timing/ convenience and also school influence over cycling policy and storage facilities. This was the case from urban environments right through to remote rural locations.

"We got excited because the council installed what we thought were bike stands, but they were just for storing wheelie bins." - P7 Pupil

9.3 Children at this age were generally positive about buses, and understood and enjoyed the benefits of convenient local travel, either alone or with parents/friends. Many comments were critical of the condition/cleanliness of buses, but some seem resigned to the fact this is "just how buses are". Interestingly, at this age, and especially for new vehicles, buses are seen as fun, "cool" and attractive.

9.4 The benefits of cars are understood widely especially in terms of convenience, speed and comfort. Overall, however, a negative view of cars came through from discussion. They were seen as restrictive and boring to this age group, and other factors such as pollution, congestion, parking and costs were widely recognised without prompting.

Secondary Schools

9.5 For older children, priorities and perceptions were substantially different. Overall, buses were seen as reliable, cheap and convenient, and were widely used. Suggestions for improvements that were provided indicated the experience of these children as regular users. Older children especially suggested that running times could better suit their travel needs for work, socialising etc., and help them reduce dependence on others for lifts. School buses were generally unpopular, for reasons of noise, disturbance, vehicle quality and driver attitude.

9.6 Attitudes to walking were generally favourable, and again there were good levels of understanding of health and environmental benefits. The ability to mix with friends, for example, on the journey to school was important, especially for girls. Getting fresh air and 'waking up' before school was also important.

9.7 Levels of cycling were much lower in secondary school pupils and attitudes less positive, especially with increasing age. There was some suppressed demand, even amongst girls, but stronger peer pressures and the perception of fashion/"coolness" is obviously a very strong factor at this age and has a much wider influence than just transport choices. Some suppressed demand was evident in boys, who had concerns over bike security, especially for more expensive machines.

9.8 Children at secondary school had considerable experience of using cars, mainly as passengers, and could provide plenty of personal advantages in their use. There was however a very wide understanding of the negative effects in terms of pollution and congestion. These views were held more strongly in urban and suburban areas. In rural areas, there was an understanding that the car was a virtual necessity for making many journeys, and there were no unrealistic calls for unsustainable bus services in these areas. Virtually all the pupils involved in discussion considered the car to play a key role in their future travel as an adult, and for older individuals the future ability to drive was a very widespread, and a relatively unquestioned desire.

9.9 For older pupils, independence was a key factor in their travel decisions, with a general desire to reduce reliance upon parents and others for lifts. Public transport, including to a lesser degree taxis, were seen as beneficial in this regard, but overall opinion that this was a sub-optimal solution to be endured until car use or ownership could be secured.

The influence of school activities and whole-school approaches

9.10 The choice of schools for case studies was led by a desire to evaluate the effect of certain whole-school approaches to certain issues, and to consider their influence on pupils' attitudes.

9.11 Transport issues are not commonly tackled in many Eco School or Sustainable Secondary School approaches. Often the focus will be on more tangible activities that generate interest in (or arise from) pupils such as waste, recycling, water and energy. At two primary schools, whole-school approaches appeared to be more successful in establishing knowledge and attitudes in young people than comparable schools. A primary school in Edinburgh, with a strong focus on road safety that pervades the whole school year and many activities, showed children who were very aware of road safety issues and their importance to their daily lives. An Eco School in Uddingston had included transport within their general activities and reinforced messages in the classroom with other activities, displays, special events and parental involvement. The children here displayed a greater understanding of the wider benefits and disbenefits of their (and their parents') transport choices than was apparent at other schools.

PCP Groups

9.12 The groups at California PS and Braes HS enabled the following bi-polar constructs to be identified when considering transport choices.

9.13 Table 3 shows the constructs which first appear in the P4 group and seem to retained right up to S3 and, from the literature review also appear to be commonly used by adults.

Table 3 Key bi-polar constructs identified throughout all age groups

9.14 In the younger (P4 and P6/7) groups fun - boring seemed to be an important construct used about travel, possibly because modes of transport are more imposed than chosen for this younger age group. Cycling, in particular, seemed to be construed as fun by the younger children but not by the majority of older ones.

9.15 The construct of cool -v- not cool first comes to light in the P6/7 group, and indicates an early recognition that transport is more than just about getting around. Cool -v- not cool is a very social construct - it is not just about how I feel about something (my personal experience) it is about how I think others might see me. It was also noticeable that ideas about enjoying the travelling experience were rather lacking in an S3 group - until the discussion moved on to the notion of acquiring driving licences.

9.16 Even though a particular construct used by the younger children in their groups did not come up in an older group, that does not mean it is not still in use, but it might suggest that it is not a very important construct at a later age.

9.17 The S3 group used quite a few very 'sensible' constructs such as can carry a lot -v- can't carry much; has bike racks -v- does not have bike racks; safe -v- risky; tables to work on -v- no work surface and were also using constructs about cost and health, which shows that they are becoming more sophisticated in how they construe transport. They also used a construct about how other people might experience a particular mode of transport i.e. old people might trip over because pavements in poor repair. Knowledge about pollution and the environmental impact of cars was also quite sophisticated at the S3 age level, suggesting that they do take these things on board when they are taught about them at school. Constructs relating to traffic congestion; energy efficiency and exhaust emissions all came up.

9.18 Even at an early age, it seems that there is an awareness of the benefits of car use and that quite quickly the fun element of riding bikes is replaced by the downsides of cycling - getting wet; slow speeds and risk of theft.

9.19 Interesting social constructs appeared in the S3 age group: independent -v- need someone else to take you and can go with friends -v- loner. Further research would be useful in establishing to what extent these constructs are important in later years and how they are used. For instance whilst going by car without friends, rather than walking with them, might indicate a loner at S3 level, it may be that for a 19 year old getting about by car is the norm and they would be seen as a loner without one.

QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS - SECONDARY PUPILS

9.20 After undertaking pilot discussion groups to establish key issues concerning children's attitudes to sustainable transport, a questionnaire survey was distributed, via four schools, to secondary pupils. A total of 367 were received. It is not possible to calculate a precise response rate as the research team had no direct control over distribution (undertaken by school staff) but it is estimated that about 600 questionnaires were issued to schools giving a response rate of around 60%. The survey questionnaire is included in Appendix 4.

9.21 For the purposes of analysis, the four secondary schools were subdivided into rural (schools in Dumfries and Galloway and Highland) and urban (schools in Edinburgh and Falkirk). This simple classification is considered suitable for consideration of the data that were collected.

9.22 Basic demographics of responses are shown in Table 4.

Table 4 Age/gender of responses

Attitudes to Modes

9.23 Respondents were asked their usual means of travelling to school and their preferred means. Results are summarised below:

Table 5 Usual and preferred means of school travel

9.24 Walking and school buses are the most common forms of transport. High cycling and walking levels amongst boys is balanced by greater public transport use by girls.

9.25 In terms of preferred means, more pupils want to use their bikes for the school journey than actually do, especially amongst boys. Reasons given for not cycling are exemplified by the following:

• Bike could get vandalised
• Cannot take my bike as it is not a cool bike
• Bike rack is not safe enough
• Not allowed to take bike

Others would prefer to travel by car. Reasons given for the preference include:

• Car looks better, I prefer cars
• Don't like walking
• Buses too noisy and slow, bus is dirty or late
• Car more comfortable and faster
• I could get up later, I am too lazy

For those preferring a school bus, reasons centre on:

• Walking is tiring and I would like to be with my friends
• Friends go on bus
• Bored of taking car
• So I don't have to pay for bus fare
• Bus is fun

9.26 Respondents were asked how they would prefer to travel when older. The overwhelming majority cite the car as their chosen mode, as detailed below. There is greater acceptance of alternative modes amongst boys.

Table 6 Preferred means of future travel e.g. to work

9.27 Respondents were asked to rate different forms of transport as being "cool/ trendy" and therefore potentially fitting their lifestyle, or not "cool/ trendy". For all pupils, the car and train are seen as most acceptable, with taxis and cycling the least popular. For boys, the acceptability of cycling is substantially greater than for girls. Buses and walking are viewed with much greater regard by girls.

Table 7 Proportion ranking Modes as " Cool/ Trendy " by gender

Table 8 Proportion ranking Modes as not " Cool/ Trendy " by gender

9.28 When considering the responses by year group, there is a pronounced dip in the potential acceptability of walking and cycling for years S3 and S4 (ages 14-16), but some recovery is gained for older pupils. Bus popularity declines with age, whereas the opposite is true for trains and taxis.

Table 9 Proportion ranking Modes as "Cool/ Trendy" by year group

Table 10 Proportion ranking Modes as not " Cool/ Trendy " by year group

Information

9.29 The source of information about the benefits of using buses, walking or cycling was questioned. The responses shown below indicate the importance of parents, the media but also schools (lessons and other group activities) in providing information on these modes.

Table 11 Sources of information on benefits of public transport, walking and cycling

9.30 The effectiveness of information in understanding issues and in changing behaviour is indicated below. While most agreed that information helped them understand, a lower proportion indicated that it promoted an occasional change in their behaviour.

Table 12 Has this information helped you to understand the issues better, for example how walking is better for your health?

Table 13 Has the information made you change how you travel?

Factors Important in Travel Decisions

9.31 In order to establish the features of travel to school that are important to young people, and therefore establish the foundations of their definition of sustainable transport, the journey to school was chosen as a common journey. This is because all young people make this journey with regularity and can therefore discuss it with greater certainty. Additionally, this journey is also closest in nature to that likely to be taken by the respondents as future commuting adults, where modal shift policies and initiatives are now being targeted. Results are shown in the following figure, highlighting differences by gender.

Figure 2 Overall ranking of factors related to choice of journey to school

Whole Group

9.32 Secondary school pupils rank protection against the weather 2nd in importance, with gets me there on time as the most important issue in deciding how they would like to make their journey to school. Healthy exercise is ranked 4th in importance, whilst goes from door to door is ranked as the least important issue in making the decision (11th).

9.33 They rank the issue of good for the environment only 10th (out of a possible 11) when compared with other issues in deciding how they would like to travel to school.

9.34 This group is not really sure whether the risks of stranger-danger and road accidents make it unsafe to cycle or walk to school. However they rank the risk of stranger-danger as 3rd in importance in the list of issues they were asked to rank in order of importance in deciding how they would like to make their journey to school. The risk of road accidents is only ranked 7th.

Gender of Child

9.35 Major differences between the genders are evident in cost and health (boys ranking these higher) and travelling with friends which was viewed by girls with greater importance. Other messages are likely to be viewed equally by all.

Age Group

9.36 Considering the age of respondents throughout the secondary school years, general patterns remain similar, although the importance of weather, length of journey and door-to-door aspects indicate an increasingly "adult" perspective on travel expectations, as these move up the importance scale. Perceptions of hazards from strangers and road accidents decline with age.

Location of School (Urban/Rural)

9.37 Cost of journey is ranked 4th in importance by urban dwellers but only 9th by pupils living in rural areas, potentially indicating higher levels of affluence. Both sub-groups rank gets me there on time (punctuality) first in importance, with protection from the weather being 2nd in importance for urban dwellers and 3rd in importance for rural dwellers. For pupils living in rural areas rank lets me travel with my friends is more important than those in urban areas, indicating reduced frequency of contact.

Importance of Specific Issues

9.38 To further understand the importance of the issues arising from preliminary discussion groups e.g. on health, safety, environment, respondents were asked to provide their agreement, on a 5 point Likert scale with the following statements. Similar statements were used in parent surveys to enable comparison.

• I get most of my views about different types of transport from my parents
• Protecting the environment is more important than being allowed to use the type of transport you prefer
• It is not safe for children to cycle or walk to school because of the risk to them of being involved in a road accident
• It is not safe for children to cycle or walk to school because of the risk of "Stranger Danger"
• Children who walk or cycle to school will usually be fitter and healthier than those who travel to school by bus or car
• People who use cars instead of public transport tend to cause more harm to the environment
• People should use public transport instead of cars to help reduce congestion on our roads

9.39 Results for all respondents are shown below.

Figure 3 Mean scores of specific statements relating to features of transport/travel

Width of bars indicates 95% confidence intervals of the mean.

9.40 Respondents were generally neutral on the road safety and stranger risks, as well as balancing the environment with personal choice. They were in greater agreement with congestion, environmental pollution and health messages, indicating that these concerns are being communicated to young people with some effectiveness. On average, the group is not convinced that its views about different types of transport come from parents, indicating perhaps that the media and the school have an important input here.

9.41 When girls and boys are compared, there are few differences, and none statistically significant. There is greater concern for environmental aspects of transport evident from girls, whereas boys are more aware of the importance to health of walking and cycling. These findings may assist in gender targeting of awareness information. There are statistically significant differences (at 95% confidence level) between some responses received in the urban and rural schools. Urban children are more likely to get views about transport from their parents, and also consider walking and cycling to school as unsafe. There was also a greater level of importance attached to environmental protection in rural areas.

9.42 When considering the age of respondents, there was increasing concern over environmental issues and the effects of congestion with age, potentially indicating the cumulative effect of continued exposure to these kinds of messages. There was a similar but downward trend of agreement with the importance of mode choice for health, although the mean for S5/S6 pupils still indicates agreement with this statement.

CONSIDERATION BY SCHOOL

9.43 The results received from each of the four secondary schools involved in this survey are considered.

Table 14 Secondary schools involved in questionnaire survey

9.44 At Braes and Dalbeattie, there is considerable suppressed demand for cycling as a mode of travel to school. In the remote rural region around Farr, almost all are content with their mode of travel. At Currie there is greater reliance on public buses, but also a significant desire to shift to car travel.

9.45 At schools where school bus usewas higher (Braes and Farr), there was a much greater likelihood of buses being considered "cool". This could be associated with the personal freedom/independence that is associated with school bus travel. This same mode also attracts criticism for cleanliness, conditions of vehicles and drivers however. Cycling and walking are seen as the least popular in rural areas, except by boys in Dalbeattie where the quieter environment made cycling potentially more attractive. At Currie, where bus services are frequent, walking is also not regarded highly.

9.46 The ranking of factors associated with the school journey highlights interesting differences between the schools.

Table 15 Ranking of issues by school

QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS - SECONDARY PARENTS

9.47 In parallel with surveys undertaken by pupils, parents/guardians of these pupils also received a survey questionnaire for completion. The structure and content of this survey is similar to that of the pupil example, allowing for exploration of the importance of parental influence on children's attitudes and behaviour. Parents were asked to respond with answers to the one child that had provided the questionnaire.

9.48 A total of 82 responses were received, but again direct control of distribution was in the hands of schools and therefore no accurate picture of response rate can be drawn. An estimate of around 14% can be based on the approximately 600 questionnaires that were distributed.

9.49 In terms of demographics of response, four-fifths of responses were received from female parents, and 9 out of 10 respondents were aged 37 or more. Similarly high levels of respondents indicated the car as their primary mode of travel, either as a passenger or driver. As second choice mode, a wide range of modes was given.

9.50 Parents were asked to write in their child's mode of travel to school and their perceived preferred mode, without asking the child. These results mirror those of the pupils, with parents believing that greater car use is desired, especially amongst girls, and greater bike use by boys.

Table 16 Usual and perceived preferred means of school travel, by gender of child

9.51 The reasons provided on why the preferred mode is not used are listed below. Most centre on the speed, convenience and comfort of the car, but also hint at the image and personal freedom of the car. For boys, bike security and road safety are specific issues. 57% of parents stated that their child's mode of travel to school was their choice. The average age for children to make their own decision was around 15 ¹/ ₂years.

Table 17 Reasons for non-use of preferred mode

9.52 Parents were asked about information that they had received about using different forms of transport e.g. using the car less and walking more, or using public transport. The majority had not received any information, and of those that had, most received it through TV, radio and printed media. The influence of secondary school children in providing information to their parents was considered to be low.

Table 18 Numbers of respondents receiving transport choice information and where it had promoted change

9.53 The results of the ranking exercise are shown below. Perceptions of environmental factors seem to be broadly the same for parents of secondary school children as for parents of primary school children.

Figure 4 Relative ranking of factors important in parents' decision over school journey

9.54 The whole group ranks stranger danger as the second most important issue in deciding how their child travels to school. They, like the primary school children parents, seem somewhat unsure as to whether stranger danger actually makes it unsafe for a child to walk or cycle to school. Once again, this suggests that though the issue is important the risk of anything happening is not perceived as being particularly high. This seems to be borne out by actual behaviour - most of the children of these parents walk or cycle to school.

9.55 Gets them there on time is ranked as the most important issue by parents and pupils with protection against the weather being ranked only 7th by parents, being rated much more importantly by pupils. Parents and pupils ranked healthy exercise with equal (high) importance, indicating that health promotion messages regarding walking and cycling are reaching both groups equally well.

9.56 Parents were also asked questions on issues such as health, safety, environment, congestion and choice, these being structured similarly to those asked of the children. Results are shown below, with 95% confidence limits of the mean scores.

Figure 5 Agreement/disagreement with statements relating to transport choices

Width of bars indicates 95% confidence intervals of the mean.

9.57 There were four statistically significant differences (at 95% confidence limits) in the mean ratings of secondary parents and pupils relating to the statements provide the following:

Table 19 Differences between parent and child ratings

9.58 There were also differences expressed between parents of girls and of boys. Parents of girls rated environmental protection more highly (as do girls themselves generally), and also the importance of stranger danger. Parents of boys considered the health benefits of walking statistically more important than parents of girls.

Primary Parents

9.59 Parents of primary children at schools where discussion groups and other activities were carried out were asked to complete questionnaires identical to those for secondary parents.

9.60 Demographics of responses were similar, but with a higher proportion of younger parents as would be expected and an even higher proportion of female parents completing the response. A total of 108 responses were received.

9.61 High numbers of primary school parents cited walking as their primary or secondary choice of mode of transport, perhaps indicating the walk escorting that they may undertake with their child. Over 90% of parents made the choice over their child's mode of travel to school, with the average age of responsibility for this decision being given as 11.5. This is significantly lower than the secondary parents' figure of 15.5 and perhaps indicates ambitious targets over the desired independence of their child.

9.62 High levels of walking to school are indicated by the results, with half the number again travelling by car. There is evidence again of suppressed demand for cycling, amongst boys and girls at this age (see Table 20).

Table 20 Usual and perceived preferred means of school travel, by gender of child

9.63 With respect to information received on the relative benefits of different forms of transport, a similar picture emerges as with secondary parents with the major exception of information taken home from school by the child, which not only leads to the greatest recall (as exemplified by these results) but also provides potential impetus for behaviour change.

Table 21 Numbers of respondents receiving transport choice information and where it had promoted change

9.64 The results of the ranking exercise show similar results to those for secondary parents, with the exception of exercise which is joint equal in importance with punctuality with regards to the school journey. For parents of girls, the perceived risk of " stranger danger" has the highest priority for this sample of parents.

9.65 Responses to the statements about different aspects of transport choices highlight a similar pattern to that of secondary parents, but with stronger views. For example, the health benefits of walking and cycling are seen more clearly by primary parents, as well as statements relating to the environment. Interestingly also, there was more disagreement with statements relating to stranger danger and road safety, potentially related to parents accompanying their children at this age, although this is by no means universal.

Figure 6 Agreement/disagreement with statement relating to transport choices

Width of bars indicates 95% confidence intervals of the mean.

9.66 Variations in responses between the primary schools are generally small, but with noticeable local factors. For example in a more affluent Edinburgh suburb, factors such as independence, exercise, children being with friends, and the environment were more important than the norm. In urban Hamilton, stranger danger concerns were particularly high. Environmental concerns related to transport have a positive relationship with affluence, and a negative one with increasing rurality.

9.67 There was no significant patterns of parental attitudes related to whole-school programmes, such as road safety activities, eco-schools, or active primary schools. The messages delivered to children were not resulting in significant shifts in attitudes by parents, at the level of analysis that was undertaken. This tentative finding did arise from the discussion and interview work, however.

9.68 The primary parents, and to a certain extent the secondary ones, as a whole agree somewhat that people who use their cars rather than public transport tend to cause more damage to the environment and also that protecting the environment is more important than being allowed to use the type of transport you prefer and that people should use public transport instead of cars to help reduce congestion on our roads. However, when asked to rank order issues relating to deciding the how their child should travel to school, they only place the environment 9th (out of 11 items) in order of importance, where the most important item is ranked 1st. It would appear from this that though the group agrees that public transport is more 'environmentally friendly' than car use, they probably don't seem to think it is a very important issue when placed in the context of related issues such as gets them there on time, healthy exercise and stranger danger.

9.69 There is nothing odd about this when viewed in personal construct theory terms. In personal construct theory it is acknowledged that people will have sub-systems of constructs (issues) that can happily co-exist, even though they appear on the surface to conflict. In the present context one might hypothesise that whilst people agree that the environment should be protected and that cars are damaging to it, when that 'concern for the environment' sub-system is put against their 'travel' sub-system, the latter takes precedence and issues about the environment take a back seat.

CONCLUSIONS - DEFINING SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

9.70 The approach to the research carried out was to not begin with a fixed definition of sustainable transport, but to establish how young people define it in their own words/ actions. The main factors that young people wanted to discuss were: time, cost, health, safety, environmental issues independence and condition of each mode of transport. Discussion of these issues led to discussion about the most appropriate form of transport for each journey and what factors should be taken into account when making that decision.

9.71 Some of the factors, chosen by the pupils as important, relate closely to the three facets of sustainable development - economy, society and environment. The quantitative surveys allow additional tentative conclusions to be made.

Cost

9.72 There were mixed views as to whether public transport was affordable, although most children said that trains were expensive. This is probably partly due to the different locations of the focus groups. Most pupils associated car travel with expensive running costs and often added the cost of parking, although they also made the point that these costs are borne by the parent whereas they often have to pay for their own use of public transport. Most pupils associated cycling and walking with being free or low-cost.

9.73 Several recommendations were made in relation to cost. These included providing price information at bus stops; reducing the frequency of fare increases; making bus travel free to under-16s. Certain types of ticket were felt to encourage bus use, including day tickets and cross-operator tickets, showing a certain sophistication in the understanding of transport systems.

Environment

9.74 Young people are generally very aware that their choice of transport can have an impact on the environment. Younger pupils were more aware of environmental issues than older pupils were, or at least more prepared to discuss them in front of others, and girls more so than boys. Most pupils were aware that cycling and walking had little impact on the environment and that cars polluted the environment. Some explained that although buses and trains also caused pollution, the fact that many people used them at once meant that the impact was less severe.

9.75 Pupils explained that they had gained their knowledge from a range of sources including curriculum work, assemblies, newsletters, parents, and television.

9.76 In the Eco-School where transport was high profile, pupils were very aware of the connection between transport and the environment. In the Eco-School where the transport topic had not been developed, the awareness was similar to other school. In one school the transport emphasis related more to accessibility to basic services because of the remote locality of the school. In the quantitative survey, there was increasing concern over environmental issues and the effects of congestion with age, potentially indicating the cumulative effect of continued exposure to these kinds of messages.

9.77 Whilst there seems to be acknowledgement of environmental issues, their actual importance when placed in the context of other issues relevant to deciding how a child gets to school is very low indeed, both for parents and secondary school pupils in the surveys. Nearly all groups and sub-groups participating in the survey consistently rank practical issues as more important issues. Punctuality ( gets them there on time) is nearly always the most important issue - reflecting, perhaps, the importance that schools put on pupils arriving on time. In personal construct terms, attitudes (issues) ranked as of high importance are likely to be difficult to change. For instance, as punctuality seems to be so important to this survey population, it is highly unlikely that offering a means of transport to school that is unreliable (or perceived as such) is going to be taken up.

9.78 It seems that if environmental issues are to be considered as important then providers will need to focus more on basic practicalities - If they do, there is some indication that children will greet the changes favourably.

9.79 These results suggest that there is no underlying aversion to 'environmental friendliness'. A certain lack of certainty about the issue, possibly due to a lack of specific knowledge, may be present. However, environmental issues - to the extent that they were explored in this survey, seem to be low in importance as factors in the decision-making process relating to journeys to school, practical considerations being much more to the fore.

Health

9.80 Most pupils associated walking and cycling with health benefits, including exercise and fresh air. Some referred to the benefits to their mental health e.g. relaxing with friends, winding down after a day at school. The level of knowledge was highest at schools which had actively promoted the health benefits of walking and cycling. Younger pupils spoke more about the health benefits of certain modes of transport than older pupils. Boys were generally more enthusiastic about health and fitness aspects, especially those resulting from cycle use. There was a concerning reduction with age of the importance of these health message.

9.81 Some pupils explained that their parents encouraged them to walk because of the associated health benefits, sometimes reinforcing this encouragement by refusing to take them by car to places which were nearby. When asked where they had learnt about the health benefits, they explained that it had come from a variety of sources including classroom work, their parents and also from first-hand experience.

Safety

9.82 When asked about the various modes of transport, pupils did not immediately associate any particular mode with being particularly safe or unsafe. When walking or waiting at bus stops older pupils were concerned about their personal safety at various locations, particularly for the urban groups.

9.83 At the school where there has been an emphasis on road safety education the pupils explained why they thought it was important to learn pedestrian and cycling skills. Along with pupils at other schools they felt that it was important to be equipped with the relevant skills.

9.84 A number of pupils said that they would like to see more cycle lanes (on-road and off-road) as they did not like fast traffic passing close to them when on their bicycles.

Choice, Independence & Social Aspects

9.85 For older pupils, independence is a relevant issue. Many explained that access to suitable transport that didn't involve getting a lift from parents was important to them. Older teenagers didn't appear to want to be dependent on their parents, and saw them as a potential embarrassment. They explained how relying on parents for lifts to places was inconvenient for both themselves and their parents and that walking, cycling and public transport all provided the advantage of independent travel.

Restrictions and barriers seemed to be more common in this topic than positive aspects. Lack of storage, risk of vandalism and parental/school restrictions limited cycle use.

9.87 Being with friends is particularly important for girls, especially in the mid-secondary age, and this aspect should be considered when promoting modes of transport, or reinforcing existing use.

9.88 Where school bus use is higher, indicating greater independence, there is less antipathy towards the bus, and potentially greater acceptance of this as suited to the teenage lifestyle.

9.89 For younger pupils the 'fun' element of each type of transport was more important, whilst trains are seen as attractive and "cool/ trendy" to be seen using as children get older. The attractiveness and fun of the bus in primary children declines steadily.

9.90 Parental influence is seen as key in providing information or guidance on public transport, walking and cycling. Only a third of secondary pupils stated that they received such information in the classroom. Information helped understanding of issues but has not lead to significant behaviour change, respondents reported.

Time

9.91 On the whole, for pupils living in urban areas public transport is quicker than the car, especially when factors such as needing to find time to park are taken into account. For pupils living in more rural areas the buses are less frequent and often take circuitous routes, making the journey time much longer than it would be by car. Having said this, however, children still insisted that they would like the buses to serve more locations.

9.92 For local journeys, e.g. to the shops, to the park, walking and cycling were seen to be as quick as going by car, particularly as time isn't wasted waiting for parents to take and collect them.

Parents' Perspective

9.93 The parents surveyed have a similar outlook on transport choices as their children. Their perception of desired travel mirrors that of children and the reasons and influencing factors overlap: convenience, image, time-saving, security. This highlights the strong influences that parents have on children's travel, and potentially vice versa.

9.94 Parents' perspective on the importance of environmental factors is as low as that of their children. They agree with the statements that cars are harmful to the environment and that people should use public transport to reduce congestion but are doubtful that protecting the environment is more important than being allowed to use the type of transport you prefer. However, they rank the environment only 8th in importance when compared with other issues in deciding how their child travels to school. Even where children are walking/ cycling to school it is not for environmental reasons.

9.95 Parents rated the health benefits of cycling and walking much higher than their children, but also had greater fears of road safety and "stranger danger" (especially parents of girls). Attempts to promote modal shift by influencing parents should focus on these aspects and not those of minimal importance. Around three fifths of the parents surveyed made the decision over their child's means of getting to school, and so the influence of parents on eventual behaviour (despite positive child attitudes) cannot be underestimated.

9.96 Primary parents receive much information from their offspring, from children, and although behaviour change was small, this source had the greatest effectiveness.

Summary

9.97 Reflecting the wider population, the balance of sustainability displayed by most of the young people was towards meeting the needs of the self, rather than of society or the environment. Young people are aware of wider issues, but these do not influence decision-making and behaviour.

9.98 Key constructs maintained by young people include: punctuality, practicality (weather, carrying equipment), ability to socialise, and avoid hazards. Cost and health aspects were also important but reduced with age.

9.99 The pupils who took part in the discussion groups explained that there are number of different factors which need to be taken into account when deciding how to travel, both to school and other destinations. This decision-making process is an important factor in the promotion of sustainable transport and encouraging reduced use of the car. Young people seem aware that there are a number of options available to them and didn't always choose the car as being the most suitable. Indeed, some pupils were quite critical of people who used the car for very short journeys. Many were aware of the issue of 'appropriate transport', i.e. choosing the most appropriate form of transport for the journey taking in the factors discussed above.

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