AN INITIATIVE to reduce the school run, and promote cycling among students and schoolchildren throughout the borough of Runnymede, has proved so successful that it has been rewarded with a National Cycling Award.

The Runnymede Business Partnership picked up the award at a ceremony at Bishop's Palace, in Westminster, recently.

The award-winning cycling project is part of the ongoing Runnymede Travel Initiative (RTI), designed to reduce the number of journeys made by car during peak hours.

It was initiated three-and-a-half years ago, with an initial focus to reduce the impact of the school run on daily traffic congestion.

Since then, Runnymede Business Partnership, which includes representatives of local businesses, Runnymede Borough Council, schools, colleges, Surrey Police and the County Council, has been working with schools and has erected 500 cycle shelters at schools, 550 more at Royal Holloway College and introduced a school bus.

It is estimated that students and schoolchildren now cycling to college and school have contributed significantly to the reduction of a quarter of a million journeys, previously made by car.

Tim Smith, deputy headteacher at Magna Carta School, and a member of the Runnymede Business Partnership, said: "The school is pleased with the success of the Runnymede Travel Initiative, in reducing the number of journeys to school in the car.

"Our roads are subjected to prolonged periods of congestion each day, and action, such as RTI, is needed to encourage those who travel to school in Runnymede to consider using alternatives to the car for some journeys.

"The current initiative is a positive start and the impact of the cycle shelter provision has produced a noticable change in travel patterns."

Alan Browns, chairman of the Runnymede Business Partnership Transport Group, said: "The partnership has been working closely with local schools, colleges, students and parents, to provide them with the means and motivation to reduce the number of journeys made to school by car.

"We have backed this up with school project work forming part of the National Curriculum, to raise the awareness among students of the environmental impact of the RTI.

"The partnership is proud of its achievements, and hopes that this type of initiative can be developed nationally, to help reduce traffic congestion."

The next phase of the cycle shelter project is to extend the provision to railway stations, town centres and local companies. Local businesses are also being encouraged to play their part, and companies are being asked to produce travel plans, where staff are encouraged to reduce the number of journeys to work by car.

May 30, 2003 10:30