Doncaster council bids for fund for a cycling pilot that could give children scooters to get to school

The Department for Transport has said Doncaster Council will be notified this month whether or not around £405,000 will be allocated.

The bid includes bike and electric bike loans at around 60 per month to businesses and residents as well as an active travel officer who will work in schools to encourage more parents to ditch the car so children can walk, cycle or scoot to school.

Along with this, the council would pilot a ‘scoot to school’ scheme which mirrors a successful experiment in Leeds where a number of scooters were handed to kids so they could get to school.

On the scooter trial, Coun Joe Blackham, cabinet member for highways, said: “The scoot to school trial will provide scooters and storage to schools who are participating alongside the active travel officer so that we can enable more sustainable journeys on scooters.”

Coun Blackham told a recent meeting that the Local Cycling and Walking infrastructure Plan is a long-term approach to developing cycling and walking networks and forms a vital part of the Government’s strategy to double the number of journeys made and to increase walking activity substantially by 2025.

It’s said the funding will help DMBC officers design plans to bring existing infrastructure up to new standards and improve the borough network.

Future priority areas will be investigated using the recent Sheffield City Region interactive Active Travel map to identify areas which need to be upgraded.

Deputy mayor Coun Glyn Jones said: “I fully support this initiative, it continues the valid and necessary work that we are required to do as a council safeguarding our communities.”

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