Cycling is quicker and cheaper

Active, sustainable travel by bike can save you time and money before you even get to school in the morning!

The facts
Travel by car is not always the most time efficient means.  As a cyclist can average 10 miles per hour, even on a congested road, it is the perfect way to beat traffic jams and pollution whilst keeping active at the same time.  Cycling makes even more sense as it is the cheapest form of transport apart from walking.  It only costs 5p per mile to travel by bicycle as opposed to £1.24 per mile by car, not including depreciation and parking costs!  If you currently get the bus you can work out how much you would save on fares by taking your bike instead.

Bikes don’t need to be taxed or have an M.O.T. and the only fuel needed is that found in healthy breakfast and packed lunch.

Cycling to school can be much quicker than getting the bus or a lift in the car, especially in terms of beating traffic jams.  On average, you can travel four times further on bike than on foot and as most households have a bike already it can be the easiest choice for the journey to school.

The National Cycle Network in Scotland is currently 2,000 miles long and 1,700 of those are on quiet or traffic calmed roads.  With 54% of the population within 1 mile of the network and a continually growing number of designated cycle routes and lanes it has never been easier to enjoy a pleasant and healthy ride to school.

Safe Routes to Schools, which is part of Sustrans, aims to provide a safe route to school for every child in the UK by way of sustainable transport. 

Active travel can be beneficial to everyone in the community by promoting walking and cycling as alternative modes of transport. 

The knowledge of being environmentally friendly, cutting travel costs and investing in your own health means that cycling is an extremely attractive lifestyle option.

Useful Links

Safe Routes to Schools
www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk