Four out of 10 students driven to school live within two kilometres

Four in 10 pupils who are driven to school live within two kilometres of the school, according to a new survey undertaken by the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO).

The authority commissioned the survey as part of its One Small Step strategy which encourages Dublin people to leave the car at home and use public transport or walk at least once a week.

Commenting on the results of the survey, DTO director John Henry said some car-users considered the distance to their local school or college to be too far to walk, while others cited children's safety as an issue.

However, he said while this was understandable, it was of more benefit for students to walk to school with a parent or their friends, to cycle if old enough or to use public transport where possible.

The survey, which claimed 147,000 respondents, also found that the total number of students driven to school or college daily in the Greater Dublin Area is 125,000, a feature which leads to congestion around suburban schools.

The survey also found:

Overall numbers of children being driven to school or college have increased by 6 per cent since 2002;

Some 55 per cent of all respondents travel two kilometres or less to their school or college;

Half of all primary school children in Dublin and surrounding counties are now driven to school, up by more than 3 per cent from the 2002 census figures;

Some 31 per cent of all secondary school students go to school by car, up by 8 per cent since 2002;

There has been a significant drop in the proportion of students using the bus to get to school/college, down from 23 per cent in 2002 to 18 per cent in 2006.