Walking bus

About this activity

Suitable for primary school pupils and their parents/carers. Supports EYFS and PE National Curriculum.

Walking buses are a sociable and active way to travel to school. They allow pupils to learn about their local environment while reducing congestion and pollution at the school gates.

Pupils and volunteers meet at an agreed time and location and walk a set route to school in a group, picking up ‘passengers’ along the way. The same is done in reverse for the walk home.

While the walking bus can be initiated and supported by the school, it works best when run informally by parent and carer volunteers. You can gather interest and support the group to identify the most suitable meeting points and safest routes.   

This activity can be linked with route planning and Park and Stride. 

You can also involve your Junior Travel Ambassadors (JTA) in planning the routes and meeting points. Use TfL’s journey planning app or try walkit.com to help plan your routes.

What you’ll need

• A group of organised parents/carers to coordinate the walking bus(es)
• Hi-vis jackets or badges to make volunteers easily recognisable and stand out during the darker months
• Promotion of walking buses on your school notice board(s) and in newsletters