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CHILDREN'S ATTITUDES TO SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT

APPENDIX THREE CASE STUDY SCHOOLS & DISCUSSION RESULTS

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

California Primary School, Falkirk

This school, a registered Eco-School, is in the settlement of California, in rural Falkirk, south of the main conurbation area. Roll is 75, mainly from the village itself. Many of the pupils walk to school. Preliminary progress had been made, and is being progressed by a newly-qualified teacher. No focus on transport issues has been made as part of the Eco-School work.

A119. Details of discussion groups are included in Section 10 of the main report, under PCP approaches.

Bannockburn PS, Bannockburn

This is a large primary school in the small town of Bannockburn and has a mixed catchment. The school has a very active student council (with representatives from P1-P7), which has started to address issues related to safe access to the school. Pupils were concerned that children were crossing the school car park to enter and exit from the school. As a result this area will be fenced off and a short cut has been removed. The pupil council has been working with Stirling Council on addressing these issues. The school is also concerned about parking at the school gate. The school has focused on healthy eating, an example being pupils getting points for bringing in fruit to eat in school.

2 Discussion groups were held with members of the School Council with pupils from P1-P7

A120. Pupils discussed the positive and negative factors associated with cycling, walking, trains, buses and cars.

A121. Buses: Pupils preferred public buses to school buses as the school buses were described as noisy and overcrowded and there was concern about unruly behaviour of older pupils. The problems associated with service buses included running late, strangers, stop too often and unsafe. Pupils liked the fact that there are seat-belts on coaches as it makes them feel safer.

A122. Cycling: Cycling is associated with being fun and good exercise and faster than walking. Pupils would like to cycle to school but there is no suitable storage. The school is sited on a main road and there is concern amongst senior staff about safety.

A123. Trains: Trains were described as being quick and fun. They are associated with journeys into city centres, e.g. Glasgow and Edinburgh. Pupils commented on the fact that they are good if you have lots of luggage.

A124. Walking: There was a positive attitude towards walking amongst pupils. They associated it with waking you up, providing energy and exercise, fresh air, ease and enjoyment. They said that they walked more in summer than winter. Only one pupil mentioned that walking was good for the environment. The only concern that was expressed was that in the morning many drivers speed on their journey to work.

A125. Walking was associated with short trips, e.g. to shops, friends houses, the park, out and about and to local relatives.

A126. Car: Pupils felt that car travel was good when it's raining and associated it with comfort, being able to travel easily with others and short journeys.

Castle Douglas PS, Castle Douglas

This is a larger (roll: 336) in a small rural town setting. The school actively promotes healthy lifestyles including exercise and diet. The journey to schools is considered to be an important element of this. Four times a year the school holds a Walk to School Week with an emphasis on Park and Walk. Pupils are encouraged to walk for at least part of the journey to school. The school is a registered Eco-School.

As part of the school's SRS scheme developed in conjunction with Dumfries and Galloway Council an area of the town's main car park is used as a P&W car park from where pupils can walk to school. Park & Walk events are high profile within the school with incentives and competitions to encourage the children to take part; this includes the 'Golden Trainer' award which is awarded each day during the week to the class where the most number of children have walked. Children who travel to school by bus are given the opportunity to walk around the playground with the headteacher so that they feel involved.

Information about the health benefits of walking to schools is regularly sent out to parents in school newsletters. This is combined with information on the safety risks caused by dropping off children at the school gate which is also referred to in the school prospectus. Other health-promoting activities include a healthy tuck-shop and playground activities.

The school is aware that one-off events are only part of the solution which is why information and reminders go out to parents at other times of the year. The notice-board in the school playground also contains information about SRS. The issues are also raised in assemblies.

It was concern about health and safety which motivated the school to address these issues in the first place. At the time he felt that a stick and carrot approach was necessary. As well as working with the Local Authority to reduce the speed of traffic outside the school and setting up the P&W scheme, the school car park is closed to parents (who had been using it as a dropping-off area) and actively discouraged parents from dropping off children on the main road.

Children are allowed to cycle to school and guidelines on cycling to school safely are provided in the school prospectus.

Discussion groups were held with two groups of pupils, P5 and P7. Most of the pupils walked or cycled to school, only a few travelled by bus.

A127. Walking: Pupils associated walking with being suitable for short journeys and being good for your health because of the exercise involved and the lack of pollution. All pupils felt that this was an important reason to walk for short journeys. Other factors that the associated with walking was being able to spend time with friends and getting to know your own town better. They were concerned about their safety on certain journeys due to road conditions and speed of traffic.

A128. Buses: Pupils expressed a number of negative points of view related to bus travel. In particular they discussed the fact that many buses were old, stuffy and uncomfortable and reported problems of people smoking on the buses. They reported that buses often ran early or late. Pupils said that they wouldn't mind paying more for better quality buses. They liked the fact that the school bus stopped outside the school, that the drivers are usually friendly and that buses are cheap.

A129. Cars: Overall pupils had a negative view of cars and associated them with congestion, lack of places to park, danger, lack of exercise, pollution and expense. They felt that cars were good when the weather was bad and also that they provided more comfort than other forms of transport.

A130. Cycling: Pupils were very enthusiastic about cycling and reported high cycling levels. They associated cycling with short journeys such as going shopping, going out with friends, going to friend's houses, going to school and getting out into the countryside. They described cycling as being clean, quick, healthy, convenient and cheap. Their concerns were that cycling could be dangerous on certain routes and that it could be uncomfortable, particularly in bad weather. They didn't like the large trucks that go through their area.

A131. Trains: Pupils were positive about the benefits of trains, although when asked they said that they didn't use them that much. They associated them with comfort, being good for long journeys, being good for the environment as they could carry a lot of people at once. They liked the fact that you can move around during the journey and that they're not too uncomfortable even when crowded. They thought that trains were the best way to travel on long journeys.

A132. Safe Routes to Schools: As the school is involved in Safe Routes to Schools in Dumfries and Galloway, pupils were asked what they thought this meant and also why they felt that their headteacher had become involved in the programme.

A133. Most pupils associated SRS with healthy and safe journeys to school. They described activities that were associated with SRS, including walk to school week, changes to the area around the school including the highway and car park, the golden trainer award, finding safe routes and safe places to cross.

A134. Pupils explained that they knew about this because of information that comes from the school including letters that go home, assemblies, classroom work, the 2 Junior Road Safety Officers and posters. They also said that they get information from parents, TV and from out of school activities.

A135. In summary the pupils at Castle Douglas were very aware of the health issues associated with different modes of transport reflecting the emphasis that the school has on these issues.

Glenlee Primary School, Hamilton

This is a large primary school in the Burnbank area of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. It has been involved in some Safe Routes to School activity. Children are allowed to cycle for cycle proficiency instruction only, in year P7. Discussions were held with P4 and P7 groups.

A136. Walking: Pupils were enthusiastic about walking for short, local journeys including going to the shops, going to school, going to friends' houses. They were aware of the fact that walking is a good form of exercise and that it's good for their health. They also explained that the fresh air in the morning was good for 'waking them up' before they arrived at school. They associated walking with friends as being a sociable activity which they enjoyed. They liked the fact that they could take short-cuts when making journeys on foot.

A137. Cycling: Many of the pupils used bikes for getting around and about. They liked the fact that you can go where you want on a bike - friends, shops, chippy - and that you can cycle with friends. They also associated cycling with being free, providing good exercise, providing independence, being fun and a good way to get out into the fresh air. They talked about the fact that their parents encouraged them to cycle by telling them that it provided good exercise and giving them information on road safety.

A138. Bus: Pupils felt that the bus was good for going shopping, e.g. to Glasgow, going swimming. They thought that the bus was fun. Some commented on the poor condition of some buses.

A139. Car: The advantages of car travel are that it is quick, comfortable and direct. However pupils also described it as being boring and associated it with problems, such as lack of parking and traffic jams.

A140. Train: Pupils explained that they liked the train because it was quicker than the bus and fun. They didn't seem to use the train as often as they used the bus and some regarded it as being a special treat.

A141. Pupils were asked what they had learnt about in school in relation to transport. They talked about the information they had heard about road safety and the importance of exercise. They mentioned special weeks where they were encouraged to walk and cycle. They were also asked what their parents had taught/told them. Parents had also taught them about road safety, plus personal safety, e.g. not going to far from home.

A142. Pupils were asked for their favourite from of transport. They listed them in the following order: walking, cycling, and travelling by bus.

Kincardine O'Neil Primary School, Aberdeenshire

This is a small primary school (roll: 43) in a rural setting of Aberdeenshire. Larger settlements for a variety of services are some distance, but served by a relatively frequent bus service.

A143. Car: Pupils felt that the car was the best way to get to Aberdeen and sometimes Banchory. When travelling to Aberdeen they often used the Park and Ride. The main problem associated with the car was the cost of fuel, communicated by their parents.

A144. Train: Although the felt that the train was expensive they thought that it was a good way to travel because it's better for the environment than travelling by car and also better for parents in terms of reducing stress of driving.

A145. Bus: On the whole, pupils talked enthusiastically about the buses. They usually used them for travelling to Banchory as beyond this the buses became quite expensive. The good things mentioned about travelling by bus is independence from parents, and reduced impact on the environment because they carry lots of people at once and they can be more direct than getting a lift with parents who may want to stop at other places while they're out. The problem with the buses is that the routes are complicated, they don't always run on time and they can be expensive.

A146. Cycling: Pupils were very keen on cycling and cycled around the village and to the next village to see friends. They didn't cycle to school, but would like to if there were somewhere secure for their bikes. Most said that they had to wear helmets but didn't mind. They didn't like the fact that lorries and cars passed them on the main roads too fast and too close. They would like to have cycle lanes in Kincardine O'Neil and felt that this would reduce the problem.

A147. The pupils were asked which were the healthiest ways to travel and came up with the following list: Cycle, Walk, Horse, (Bus). Buses were seen as the coolest form of travel followed by cycle/scooter/skateboard. Walking was seen as the safest way to travel.

A148. The pupils were asked what they had learnt about in school in relation to transport. They explained that they had specific weeks related to road safety and that they had taken part in cycle training and they had learnt about transport in relation to pollution in the classroom. They also talked about a traffic survey they had carried out outside the school and how surprised they were by the large number of vehicles passing their school during the day.

A149. When asked what improvements to public transport they would like to see, they came up with the following list: bus shelters, fares on timetables, better information at stops inc. real time, more frequent buses

A150. The pupils showed a good understanding of detail in relation to the issues associated with transport choice. They explained that how you choose to travel depends on where you are going, but also other issues such as the environment and your health. When asked how they thought they would travel as adults they said that it would probably be by bus or car, depending on the destination. They had a high perception of laziness and talked about the fact that too many people use their cars for short journeys because of laziness.

Muiredge Primary School, South Lanarkshire Council

Muiredge is a non-denominational primary school of approximately 350 children between the ages of 5 and 12. The school has recently been awarded the Eco School Green Flag for the second time in recognition of the work and effort that the school has carried out towards improving the environment. Sustainable transport is one of the topics that the school has worked on as part of this.

The school is currently producing leaflets for pupils and parents which will contain information about recommended walking routes to school. These routes have been developed by staff and pupils.

Safe and healthy lifestyles are high profile within the school and pupils and parents regularly receive information about these issues. The school takes part in Walk to School weeks and also holds healthy weeks. Walking to school is high profile in both these weeks, although there is also an emphasis on the importance of continuing walking to school once the week has ended. There are displays about the various health and environmental issues around the school, including maps of the new, recommended walking routes.

A151. Discussions were held with a P7 class. While most walked to school, a third were escorted by car. All pupils had high awareness of environmental issues related to transport, and even those travelling by car recognised the need to reduce car use.

A152. Walking was recognised as being good for health and low in pollution. The convenience and speed of walking was recognised, as well as the ability to do other things such as talk to friends. Pupils were wary of strange people that they may encounter, as well as problems with blocked footpaths and poor walking routes.

A153. The bike was seen as quick, fun, healthy and non-polluting. It was equally good with friends or alone. There were comments about the need for more cyclepaths and or maintenance/cleaning of existing ones. The pupils understood the importance of cycle proficiency and that it is preferable to know how to cycle safely.

A154. Trains were viewed as a popular and fast means of getting to the nearby city of Glasgow and for longer distant journeys. Pupils recognised the lack of traffic congestion problems and also benefits to the environment due to the greater passenger capacity of a train over smaller vehicles. Some of the down sides of train travel, such as crowding, delays, dirty seats were described in detail. Buses were seen in a similar light, being good for the environment, but it was the internal environment of the mode (in terms of smoke and lack of cleanliness) that was the major negative factor.

A155. Cars were seen as convenient, clean and fast. There was some recognition of the cost of fuel and other running costs, and also of the negative effects of pollution and congestion that were perceived to be caused by cars.

Learning in Classes

A156. Pupils were able to express clearly where they had gained knowledge about environmental issues relating to transport. These included classroom work, eco-committee activities, the school's Green Council, posters and displays and newsletters for pupils and parents.

A157. There was a high level of awareness about the environmental impact of each type of transport. This extended to knowing about the benefits of public transport in relation to the number of people carried compared with car travel.

Teacher-led class surveys across all age groups highlighted the following issues

A158. Cycling was regarded by all pupils as the most fun way to travel, followed by walking. The main reason given for choosing these two modes was that they are a good way to travel with friends, they provide good exercise and they provide independence. Cycling was also seen as being 'cool'. Cycling was also seen as fast and green/clean.

A159. Cars and buses were seen as boring and polluting. Pupils thought cars were a fast way to travel. Buses were associated by many with pollution and being slow. Walking, cycling and cars were regarded as being the safest way to travel, but only if you take care. There was a good level of awareness of which types of transport have a negative impact on the environment and which have a positive impact on health.

Nether Currie Primary School, Edinburgh

This is a medium sized (roll: 192) primary in the Edinburgh suburb of Currie. There are high walking levels at the school as the catchment area is mostly made up of housing in the immediate vicinity of the school.

Road Safety Education is a key focus for the school. RSE takes place in the context of the 5-14 curriculum guidelines - Environmental Studies and Health Education in particular - through planned programmes of work. In addition to this opportunities are also taken for incidental work on road safety as appropriate. This work has a whole-school focus.

The school has been involved in the Junior Road Safety Officer Scheme for the last five years. Each year the school holds a road safety week in October/November after the clocks go back. In addition to this the JRSOs keep RSE high-profile throughout the year

Teaching about health and environment in relation to transport

Work under these headings takes place as part of classroom learning. In P7 pupils learn about conservation and pollution, which covers all environmental issues. The pupils were learning about this topic at the time that we met with them and their knowledge was very good indeed. When asked how much they already knew before starting this topic they reported that they were aware of the issues in general, i.e. pollution from cars harms the environment, but weren't aware of the details or of the technological alternatives, e.g. different types of fuels.

Parents are regularly sent newsletter covering a range of issues. Reminders are occasionally included about walking to school.

Most pupils will continue to walk to school when they transfer to Currie High School (also a case study in this project). During the 4 day transition week in June of P7 pupils are encouraged to walk to Currie High on their own.

A160. Bus: There was generally high bus use amongst the group of pupils. Many of them used the direct service into Edinburgh City Centre and said that from P6 onwards their parents let them use the bus without them (usually with other friends). The main reasons given for using the bus was that it avoid traffic congestion and hassle for parents and it's better as there is no need to find a parking space. Despite their high bus use they did associate several problems with bus travel including pollution, lack of comfort, sitting next to strangers, the buses sometimes ran late, they weren't always clean, the routes could be confusing and they don't have seatbelts. Younger children felt that the bus took too long and that they got bored. However, they also expressed similar ideas about car travel.

A161. Walking: The group was keen to discuss the benefits of walking as a form of transport which included: good exercise, no pollution, no timetables - flexible, time-saving, being able to talk to friends, the benefits of fresh air and that the exercise keeps you healthier and fitter, and a good way to get time to yourself. They explained that walking is good for local journeys, e.g. going to friend's houses, going to the shops. They talked about the importance of having good road safety skills if you're walking.

A162. Cycle: Positive factors associated with cycling were that it is quicker than walking and also good for your health. It is also suitable for journeys that are possibly too long to walk easily. They discussed the importance of cycle training to develop the skills to cycle safely in traffic. The younger pupils particularly associated cycling with a fun way to travel to the shops/to the park etc.

A163. Car: Pupils liked the fact that car journeys tended to be faster than those on foot and by bike and that they didn't have to share the car with strangers (unlike the bus). Some pupils safe in the car while others didn't. They preferred the comfort of the car to the bus. However, the also associated cars with pollution, cost and unreliability. The pupils were in the middle of studying a unit on pollution and talked about technological fixes to the environmental problems associated with cars in relation to alternative, cleaner fuels - they were the only group to mention this.

A164. Trains were considered popular because they were faster and therefore better for long journeys. However, they felt that they were too expensive. When asked how they would like to travel to work when they were older they said either by bus or car.

A165. Pupils were asked what type of transport they associated with each of the following:

• Trendy/Cool: Car/motorbike/new bus
• Not Cool: Old cars/old buses
• Cheapest: walking
• Most expensive: Train/car
• Cleanest: walk/cycle

A166. When asked which was the best type of transport overall the group was split between the car and the bus.

Teacher-led class surveys across all age groups highlighted the following issues:

A167. Teacher-led surveys were also used at this school, across most year groups. These reinforced the understanding of high levels of walking to school amongst pupils of all ages, and high latent demand for cycling.

A168. Cycling was regarded by all pupils as the most fun way to travel, followed by walking. The main reason given for choosing these two modes was that they are a good way to travel with friends and they provide independence. Cycling was also seen as being 'cool' by this age group as was skateboarding, although some felt that it would depend on the type of bicycle one had. Cycling was also seen as fast and green/clean.

A169. Cars and buses were seen as boring and polluting, but fast. Buses were associated with pollution and being slow. Walking, cycling and cars were regarded as being the safest way to travel, but only if you take care and follow the rules - showing very high levels of awareness of road safety issues.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Balfron High School, Balfron

The school is a comprehensive non-denominational six-year school (roll: 913) and serves the large rural district of West Stirlingshire. The school lies mid-way between Stirling and Glasgow which are both 19 miles away.

The nature of the catchment area means that a very high proportion of pupils travel to school by bus. These are a combination of service buses and school buses. Free transport is provided by Stirling Council to all pupils living two miles or more from the school (and within the school's catchment area). The school has a number of pupils attending who live outwith the catchment. The school is a registered Eco-School.

Discussion groups were held with S3 and S5 groups

A170. Buses: A large number of pupils travel to Balfron High School by bus. Pupils therefore associated bus use with the journey to school, visiting friends locally and for going to Glasgow. The local buses were described as cheap and reliable. They did express concern about the quality of the buses and didn't find them comfortable. On the school journey the buses (both service and school buses) were noisy. School buses were overcrowded. Pupils didn't find drivers helpful when they had problems such as losing bus passes. A number of the pupils lived in locations which were not served by service buses.

A171. For travelling further afield the only positive description of the buses was that they were reliable. Other than that pupils commented on the lack of comfort, the cost (too expensive), the journey took too long and the time-table didn't suit their requirements, and that the buses didn't serve smaller villages.

A172. Cycling: Cycling was only seen as suitable for local journeys such as visiting friends. Pupils who lived close to the school walked and others travelled by bus. Pupils discussed the fact that cycling was better for the environment than bus or car travel and also associated it with being free or low-cost. The only disadvantage of cycling was that it wasn't a good way to travel in cold or wet weather.

A173. Trains: The nearest station is Milngavie which is 9 miles from Balfron with a half-hourly train service to Glasgow. Pupils associated train travel with journeys to Glasgow and for long-distance journeys. They preferred the train for travelling to Glasgow, being quick, comfortable, and easy to use.

A174. Walking: Walking was only regarded as a suitable mode of transport for walking to school for pupils who lived within Balfron. The positive factors associated with walking included the fact that it is free and healthy.

A175. Car: The car was regarded by most pupils as being quick, convenient and reliable with the added advantage of being more useful when carrying shopping etc. Pupils did associate the car with high cost of fuel and also with having a negative impact on the environment. A number of pupils commented on the fact that if you live in many of the villages in the area a car is essential mode of transport. Older pupils who appeared to value their independence more were more interested in being able to use public transport.

Braes High School, Falkirk

Braes High School is a fully comprehensive six year school (roll: 850) situated in the Reddingmuirhead area of Falkirk. The school opened in August 2000, following a move from a site in the centre of Falkirk and is part of the Falkirk Schools Project in which PFI funding has been used to build five new schools. The Braes High School cluster consists of 9 primary schools spread over a wide geographical area and serving very varied communities. The schools are: Avonbridge, California*, Drumbowie, Limerigg, Maddiston, Sheildhill, Slamannan, Wallacestone and Whitecross.

Braes High School is one of six schools in Scotland taking part in the Sustainable Secondary Schools Pilot. The school is a registered Eco-School.

* A primary case study school in this study.

A176. Details of discussion groups are included in Section 10 of the main report, under PCP approaches.

Currie Community High School, Edinburgh

Currie High School (roll 948) is a large community school based in the Edinburgh suburb of Currie. It is one of six schools in Scotland taking part in the Sustainable Secondary Schools Pilot Scheme. The school is a registered Eco-School.

As part of this scheme pupils assist with the maintenance of the ecology sites, recycling and litter initiatives and are working on health promotion and safe routes to school.

"Through a combination of learning about global issues in class and taking action in their own school, pupils are encouraged to address the maxim 'Act Local Think Global'"

School Handbook, p.16

A177. Pupils discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each mode of transport in relation to journeys which they made regularly. They demonstrated that an awareness that different forms of transport are suitable for different journeys which they appeared to put into practice when making journeys themselves.

A178. Buses: Buses were regarded as being suitable for local journeys. Most pupils lived near the main bus route into Edinburgh, so it was the destination that affected whether bus travel was suitable. Suitable journeys for travelling by bus included: going into Edinburgh City Centre, going to school, going to the Gyle shopping centre. Journeys which weren't suitable for making by bus included those where a change of bus was needed and where there wasn't a bus stop close to the destination.

A179. In general the pupils had positive experiences of travelling by bus, but still felt that improvements could be made. They associated buses with the following: provides independence from parents, good for when travelling in a group, easy to use, good quality, quick (particularly where there are bus lanes), direct, convenient, good timetable Monday - Saturday (they felt that the buses started early enough and ran late enough to meet their needs), good value for money (especially the Daysaver tickets), regular services, keep you dry, comfortable. In general they felt that buses were a good form of transport for many different groups of people, e.g. elderly, disabled, parents with pushchairs, young people.

A180. Comments on buses weren't all positive, however. They didn't like the fact that people smoke on buses, and that they sometimes felt unsafe when there were 'dodgy' passengers on the bus or when walking to bus stops. Some buses ran on part-routes which meant that the number of buses they could catch to get all the way home was limited. At busy times they reported that buses could be overcrowded, unreliable and often got stuck in traffic. They reported that some buses were dirty or covered in graffiti and didn't like the fact that they had to remember to keep exact change for their return journey (although others reported that purchasing a Daysaver ticket solved this problem). They felt that the Sunday service could be improved, especially as many of them wanted to go shopping or go to work on Sundays. Some pupils commented on the fact that on buses going to and from school behaviour was often rowdy and it was hard to get a seat. Some pupils said the buses were too expensive. Another issue which was raised as that timetables changed too often

A181. Cycling: Cycling levels were low amongst the group of pupils in the focus group. There was a feeling that cycling wasn't good for their image and said that if they were to cycle to school they would be laughed at by friends travelling in other ways. Other reasons for not cycling included shortage of suitable secure places to leave cycles, having too much to carry. There was a general agreement that cycling is a easy, quick and healthy way to travel which might be good if there wasn't a suitable bus.

A182. Car travel: Car travel was seen as the best option for getting to places which weren't on an easy bus route from Currie or for places which didn't feel safe at night. Examples of such locations included the ice rink, Fountain Park, Bowling at Fort Kinnaird, playi ng football. Pupils explained that car travel was much easier when there was plenty of free parking. Being able to carry lots was seen as one of the positive factors of making journeys by car; such journeys include going fishing, shopping, skating.

A183. In general the positive factors associated with car travel included comfort, privacy, being able to leave when you want, being able to travel on a more direct route, not having to worry about missing the bus. Some journeys were described as being quicker by car, although there wasn't general agreement on this. In bad weather the car was seen as a preferred option to walking and cycling, but there was no real preference to the car in this case over the bus.

A184. Negative factors associated with car use included cost of parking, shortage of parking, getting stuck in traffic, delays, diversions, risk of breakdowns, cramped conditions, risk of damage to the car in certain parts of Edinburgh, not always being able to take the most direct route, e.g. along Prince's St, having to rely on parents for a lift/having to travel with parents and expense. Pollution was only mentioned as an issue by one pupil, but there was awareness of potential road user charging schemes in Edinburgh.

A185. Car travel wasn't seen as a comfortable option for long journeys due to cramped conditions, frequent stops, and having nothing to do.

A186. Trains: Trains were regarded as good for long journeys, but expensive and unreliable for short journeys. The pupils didn't regard the train as suitable alternative to the bus for travelling into Edinburgh. They expressed concern about their own personal safety while waiting for trains. They also explained that there was a lack of information on trains and at stations about the destination of the trains. Positive factors about the trains are that they are direct and fast.

A187. Walking: Walking was seen as suitable for short journeys, e.g. travelling to school, going to friends' houses. It is regarded as a healthy way to travel with the advantages of being able to leave when you want, being convenient, flexible, providing good exercise, free, easy, a good way to get fresh air, providing independence and a good way to travel with friends. For some it was seen as a more direct way to travel to local destinations.

A188. There were some negative factors associated with walking. It wasn't seen as suitable when there was lots to carry, which included journeys to shops and sometimes the journey to school. Some areas weren't regarded as safe for walking through. Walking wasn't always regarded as a safe way to travel alone. Getting wet was a problem with walking in bad weather. There were none of the negative image factors associated with walking as there were with cycling.

A189. Both groups of pupils were asked what changes they would like to see to make it easier for them to travel by each of the modes discussed in the first part of the focus group.

Younger Group S2

A190. On buses, there were requests for one pass/ticket for all bus companies, no graffiti/cleaner buses, enforcement by drivers of the no smoking/drinking rule, cheaper/free buses especially for U16s, keeping one timetable in operation for longer periods, a higher frequency of buses on Sundays.

A191.Pupils would like the trains to be cheaper, more frequent and for there to be more lines and stations. Pupils would like the roads to be safer and for there to be more cycle paths.

Older Group S5

A192. Pupils explained that the changes they would like to see included more bus services, more reliable buses, more direct routes, more bus lanes (properly enforced), seatbelts (although pupils admitted they wouldn't use them) and cheaper fares.

A193. Pupils would like to see better value for money train services with improved reliability and cleaner trains. For walking, improvements which were discussed included cleaner paths (dogs), less pollution, improved lighting and safer paths - cut back vegetation and trees. For cycling, more cycle lanes and safe routes were raised.

Dalbeattie High School, Dalbeattie

Dalbeattie high school is a smaller high school (roll: 377) in the rural town of Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway. The school has been successful in D&G's Eco Schools scheme, led by a pupil-based group, and has focused on waste minimisation and recycling. No specific action on transport has been taken.

A194. For older pupils here (S5/S6), the main factors involved in transport decision-making were identified as:

• Distance
• Time/Duration
• Cost
• Convenience to self
• Availability
• Practicality
• Time of Day
• Convenience to others
• Able to get back home
• Independence

A195. Of these, the most important were cost and convenience to self and independence.

A196. Overall, transport was not regarded as a particularly important issue. The children felt they could put up with buses, lifts etc. until they got their own cars. There was very little congestion in this rural area. As a result transport policy challenges had not really been thought through. However a (perhaps parental) message about reducing fuel tax came across strongly. i.e. attitudes were not strongly held or well thought through.

A197. Transport difficulties were mainly associated with leisure activities e.g. parties, going swimming, etc. A later bus home in the evening from Dumfries was important for teenagers. Environmental issues did not really kick into the debate but costs of different options did. The bus fares (80p to Dumfries) were cheap but not always regarded as such.

A198. There were clear distinctions between travel within Dalbeattie which was largely walk or bike, and elsewhere which was motorised.

NOTE ON METHODOLOGY

A199. Pupils were keen to talk about transport on the whole, although some groups were more keen than others. The focus groups were relatively easy to hold and were useful for finding out what pupils' views of the main modes of transport were. In particular the groups gave pupils a chance to express the strength of their feelings in relation to certain issues and also provided the opportunity for them to talk about related topics which may not have been covered by a pre-designed questionnaire. With some groups more prompting was necessary than with others. The views of younger pupils were more limited to what was fun and what wasn't but the groups were useful for gaining an insight into how much they enjoyed travelling in certain ways, e.g. by bicycle.

A200. Peer pressure is an issue with young people and there was a feeling on occasion that pupils wouldn't talk about the benefits of travelling in certain ways once that mode had been dismissed by others, this was probably the case for cycling amongst older pupils.

A201. It was important to talk to pupils of different ages as their concerns vary with age and the need for more independence. Also important to talk to pupils in different geographical areas as views and concerns vary depending on where pupils live and their access to other settlements and transport.

A202. Views were probably being expressed which weren't entirely those of the children. For example many had views on trains, particularly negative views, even in area without rail services.

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