Safer cycling and walking to school for Inverness pupils

Members of The Highland Council’s City of Inverness Area Committee have given their approval for a £5,500 Safer Routes to Schools project to redesign the car parking and create a drop off area at Balloch Primary School.

The aim of the project is to improve pupil and parent/carer safety while walking and cycling to school and to reduce congestion in the car park by introducing a drop-off facility for those who need to drive to school.

The project is being delivered through the Scottish Government’s Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets programme of which Highland Council has a £348,000 budget.

Leader of City of Inverness Area Committee Councillor Ian Brown said: “This is another excellent project that meets the clear aims the Scottish Government’s Programme to improve child safety and save lives by encouraging sustainable and active travel.”

Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Drew Hendry added: “The Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets programme aligns with the Council’s commitment for Inverness to be a carbon neutral city in a low Carbon Highlands by 2025. I welcome this project at Balloch Primary and look forward to more ideas coming forward from the Road Safety Unit in conjunction with our schools on how they can create safer travel to school while reducing their local carbon footprint.”

Head Teacher of Balloch Primary Karen Ross said: “We work hard to encourage as many pupils to walk or cycle to school as possible, by encouraging them, for example, to learn Cycling Proficiency and taking part in Walk to School Week events. For some though, especially those living at distance and rurally it’s not always possible for children, particularly the younger ones to walk or cycle safely to school all year round.

“We identified a need to improve the layout of our car park and drop-off area in order to make it safer for those who do cycle and walk to school and on behalf of the school and Parent Council I would like to thanks the Inverness members for their support and funding approval for this project.”