Kids help parents save fuel cash

Friday 30th March 2012

Children have saved their parents more than £368,000 in unnecessary fuel costs by cycling a total of a million miles to school.

Pupils ditched the car in favour of a bike ride to and from school as part of Sustrans Big Pedal.

More than 1,000 schools took part in the three-week project organised by the charity which aims to get more people walking, biking and using public transport.

Now the charity behind the scheme says that if these cycling levels were maintained throughout the school year, cash strapped Britons could save themselves about £2.9 million.

Gary Shipp, Sustrans schools co-ordinator, said: "Rising prices and looming fuel shortages mean that parents across the country are looking for ways to cut back on petrol costs.

"Thousands of British families, including Samantha Cameron and her kids, are showing just how easy it is to leave the car at home and use two wheels for short journeys like the school run. Children that regularly cycle to school are fitter, more alert and better learners."

Nearly half of all children want to be able to get to school by bike but only four per cent do.

For the Big Pedal, 760,050 children either cycled or used a scooter to get to school, travelling about 1,140,075 miles. It means about 1.5 million car journeys were saved.

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