Official figures reveal less than half of Scottish pupils are engaging in active travel to get to school

Just under half of Scots pupils are choosing to travel to school on foot, by bike or scooter according to a survey carried out by Sustrans Scotland.

And the vast majority of the youngsters who actively travel to school do so on foot with just 3.5% saying the used their bike and 2.8% using a scooter or skating to school.

The findings are part of a Scottish Official Statistic exercise carried out by sustainable transport organisation Sustrans Scotland.

A total of 454,777 pupils from 1,926 schools across Scotland took part in the survey, which asks children how they normally travel to school.

Of the 49.2% of pupils who said they normally get to school in an active way, 42.9% said they walked, 3.5% said they used their bikes and 2.8% said they arrived on scooter, or skated to school.

16.7% of pupils said they normally travelled by bus, and 24.2% said they travelled by car or taxi (22.4% and 1.8% respectively). 9.3% said they commuted via park and stride.

Commenting on the findings, Sustrans Scotland’s national director John Lauder said: “We want to thank all the schools who took part in the 2016 Hands Up Scotland Survey.

“The survey is crucial in helping local authorities and partners to build a more accurate picture of how Scotland’s children are choosing to travel to and from school, and helps to pin-point areas where more work can be done.

“Research has shown that increased physical activity can help us lead healthier – and happier – lives.

“By encouraging young people to travel actively for their journey to school, we can ensure Scotland’s children develop healthier travel habits that will be continued later in life.”