Page 24 - Tropic Magazine Issue 33

TROPIC • SPECIAL FEATURE

Combatting

traffic

SCHOOL TRANSPORT
Every school holiday break,
there’s a noticeable decrease
in traffic congestion on Cairns
roads. Tropic has delved into
why that’s the case, and what
can be done about it.
Words: Renee Cluff

According to surveys conducted by the
Queensland Government, more and more
students in Cairns are travelling to school
by private car. In fact, there’s been at least
a six per cent increase since 2014.
So, what are the barriers to kids walking
or riding bikes, or catching public For state school students living more than A Cairns Regional Council survey
transport? Tropic has discovered it’s three kilometres away from their place of conducted in 2018 found safety and
not necessarily laziness, or a sense of education, subsidised bus services connectivity were key barriers, with
entitlement, and both local and state are available. However, a high proportion 70 per cent of respondents rating better
governments can play a part. of students live within walking or cycling connections between bike paths and
distance but aren’t getting to school by schools as a priority action. Since then,
active travel. the council has designed and adopted an
The most recent National Cycling Active School Travel Program as part of its
Participation Survey for Cairns found Active Transport Strategy.
that children had the highest cycling The four key pillars include developing
participation rate, with 83 per cent of a safe and connected network, the
those who had cycled in the survey week provision of supporting infrastructure,
aged under 17. Those trips were for encouragement and promotion of active
recreation, though, rather than school travelling, and planning walk and cycle
travel. In fact, of all trips for education, friendly communities.
only 13 per cent were by active
travel means.

How Cairns students get to school
Ride or walk
Private car
Bus

13%

21%

66%

Source: How Queensland Travels, Qld Gov survey 2017

24 • Tropic • Issue 33