The children “catch” the bus as it comes along their street, making their way to school on foot, with parents taking it in turns to “drive” the bus. The bus has been operating at St Peter’s since the start of the year. It was set up by parents as a way of reducing the numbers coming to school by car. And although the winter saw numbers drop, parent coordinator Karen Prisco says there were still around 30 children regularly walking. “We’ve actually got three walking buses, which leave from different locations and merge at Colombo Street.”

Karen says as well as exercise, the children have learned more about the road environment. “I was amazed at how many children had no road sense when we first started walking. Some of them had never walked places before and didn’t know basic things like stopping, waiting and looking before crossing the road.”

The Walking School Bus idea is the brainchild of the Christchurch City Council and aims to maximise the safety of children on the journey to school, and encourage exercise. City Council schools coordinator Joy Kingsbury Aitken says typically a group of families form a roster to take turns at walking their children to school, either from the “driver’s” house or by picking up children along the way.

Barrie Clark, principal of St Peter's School, says the walking school bus has met a real need. "The good thing is that it's been set up by parents and is run by parents to meet the needs of parents," he says "It provides for the safe travel of children to school but there are also other benefits. Children enjoy meeting and chatting with other children who they might not ordinarily meet during the school day. The exercise at the beginning and end of each day isn't a bad thing for children either."