The once common sight of primary pupils walking and riding to school is becoming a thing of the past, but local and national organisations hope two walk-to-school initiatives this week will help reverse the trend.
Dunedin City Council community road safety adviser Carrie Suszko said the council's Walk 'n' Wheel to School Week, developed in conjunction with Sport Otago, was aimed at promoting active transport for primary school children.
Pupils from the 46 Dunedin city schools taking part would be encouraged to walk or ‘‘cycle, skate or scoot'' to school to celebrate National Walk to School Week, Ms Suszko said.
Sport Otago physical activity co-ordinator Bridget Smaill said 38 schools and 5579 children took part in events in 2007, with 46 schools and 6435 pupils participating this year.
More than 140,000 primary school children from 440 schools including Waihola District School, will take part in the Land Transport New Zealand-run Feet First Walk to School Week this week.
Figures released by the Ministry of Transport's ongoing household transport survey show the proportion of children being driven to school each day had increased from 31% in 1990 to more than 50% now.
During the same period, walking and cycling by 5 to 14-year-olds had dropped from an average of two hours and 10 minutes a week to just under one hour and 20 minutes.
