TPS has provided travel planning support to a number of private schools in Oxford and Brighton, assisting them to identify sustainable transport strategies and initiatives that are practical and cost-effective, and that deliver tangible operational benefits, as well as serving to discharge development-related planning conditions.
The transport issues faced by private schools are somewhat different from state schools; often the school day is longer so pick-up and drop-off more commonly coincides with peak periods on the local road network. Similarly, the catchment can be much wider, necessitating pupils travelling significant distances to school, which inherently limits the opportunities for active / sustainable travel.
Where the school has boarding pupils, day-to-day travel may be of less concern, as compared with the start / end of term pick-up and drop-off, where large numbers of pupils are arriving or leaving in a short window and there is a need to consider the impact of this on roads surrounding the school.
Then there’s the impact of school trips, sports competitions, evening events and performances and international student travel, which all contribute to the school’s environmental footprint. Managing school transport in an efficient manner can be a full-time job!
If you’re school is experiencing transport-related issues and you’d like some advice on how you might improve accessibility, reduce traffic impacts and better manage your school fleet, get in touch with georgina.stares@tpsconsultants.co.uk