Safety needed to walk or cycle to school, says Tesch
Member for Gosford Ms Liesl Tesch has called for "safe infrastructure" that would encourage school children to walk or cycle to school.
"Kids should be able to feel safe on their way to school," she said.
"Kids and parents really do want to be active and walk or cycle to and from school but the measures in place are simply not good enough."
"Parents are angry and they so should be.
"They are not asking for much, just safe infrastructure to ensure their kids get to and from school safely.
"The red tape needs to be cut and changes need to be implemented at first instance to ensure parents don't have to refuse to let their children to get to their school (on their own) because of safety concerns."
She said there were "severely insufficient safety measures currently in place".
She was speaking in the lead-up to Walk to School Day
Ms Tesch, a former school teacher, invited Shadow Minister for Active Transport Ms Jo Haylen to a local meeting to discuss the safety concerns with the community.
She said representatives from Umina Beach Public School and Woy Woy South Public School attended.
Ms Haylen said: "Parents know the health benefits of their kids walking or riding to school and they know it helps beat congestion on our roads, too, but many believe it's just not safe for them to do so"
"It won't come as a surprise that of the million or so school students that will be travelling to and from school today, only 30 per will get there by walking or riding, compared to 75 per cent 40 years ago.
"Our NSW School Safety Survey conducted last year displayed the enthusiasm local residents have for walking or riding to school.
"It also showed the safety concerns parents are faced with in deciding whether to allow their kids to take that mode of transport to school."
SOURCE:
Media release, 27 Apr 2021
Liesl Tesch, Member for Gosford