THE problem of vehicles on the school run jamming up roads was being discussed by councillors this afternoon.

Thousands of parents drop off and pick up their children at schools across the city - to the dismay of nearby residents.

Earlier this year, residents of Queen Annes Road took to leafleting parents claiming the school run at St Peter's School stopped them getting to their own vehicles and driving to work.

The council is hoping to ease the problem by ploughing funds into providing better pedestrian and cycle routes.

The council has a target of reducing the number of children going to school by car from 27 per cent to 19 per cent and hopes to have more than ten per cent of children in Year Six to Nine cycling to school.

A report, to be presented to transport chiefs, states currently more than 40 per cent of the money for school safety goes on the introduction of school safety zones.

The zones, which include a 20mph speed limit, speed bumps and speed tables, have now been introduced into areas near the majority of city schools.

It is now thought funds should be targeted to better cycle facilities and routes.

In the report, Catherine Heinemeyer, the council's school travel plan co-ordinator, says: "School Safety Zones have not been shown to have any impact on parents' and pupils' choice of mode of travelling to school.

"Meanwhile, only 13 per cent was allocated to new cycle parking, which has been shown to bring about large increases in cycling when accompanied with School Travel Plans."

Transport chiefs will be asked to consider increasing funding for improve pedestrian and cycle routes by more than £100,000.

Funding for school safety zones could fall from the present level of £270,000 to £40,000 because many schools now have them.

The issue will be discussed at a meeting of the executive member for planning and transport at the Guildhall, this evening.

Updated: 09:25 Wednesday, November 05, 2003