YORK schools are one step ahead when it comes to jam-busting measures to help beat traffic congestion.

City of York Council's school travel co-ordinator, Ann Sunderland, said about 30 primary and secondary schools in the city had congestion-busting "travel plans" which encouraged children to walk or cycle to school - the highest in the region.

Miss Sunderland said every school in York that wrote a travel plan by March 31 could apply for a Government grant of £3,750 with an additional £5 per pupil, which equated to £5,000 for the average primary school and £10,000 for secondary schools.

Her comments came in the light of the Government's planned School Transport Bill. The planned legislation is designed to encourage local authorities to develop innovative ways for pupils to travel to school.

Possible measures include:

"Park and Stride" schemes where parents drop children off at an agreed location to be escorted to school

"Walking buses" where pupils are collected from an agreed location to be escorted in to school in safe groups by volunteers with other pupils joining them on the route

Safe cycle routes to schools linked up with the National Cycle Network with secure bike storage at schools

Staggered start times with different schools in the same area starting at different times to reduce the number of cars on the road at any one time

More high quality school buses catering for more pupils, with CCTV and well-trained drivers, as well as extra buses catering for pupils attending after-school activities.

In April, City of York Council highways boss Peter Evely said that one in five York peak-time journeys was a school run. He said: "We estimate that if we take one in 15 journeys off the road, our problems would be solved. Imagine if we can cut the school run, or get every 15th person to share."

Miss Sunderland said several schools had already set up park and stride schemes, including Dringhouses Primary, which runs one from the Cross Keys car park on Tadcaster Road and last week all the primary schools in York took part in Walk to School Week. In the trial over 90 per cent of pupils at Knavesmire Primary School chose either to walk or cycle to school and impressed head teacher Carol Weston with their commitment.

"A lot is being done in York already to try and get children out of the cars and walking or cycling to schools in a safe way and there are plans to do more in the future," said Miss Sunderland.

Updated: 08:33 Wednesday, October 20, 2004