Blending softer behavioural change measures (bike-ability, walking buses, educational campaigns on safer parking, active travel promotion) with ‘harder’ traffic management measures (part-time road closures around Fraserburgh South Park school) has yielded remarkable results. Together, they have prompted a significant mode shift towards sustainable school travel, notable improvements in air quality, and enhanced road safety.

During the trial period, walking and cycling levels increased from 56.4% to 67%, while Park and Stride’s figures decreased by 2%, and driving levels dropped from 13.4% to 4%. PM 2.5 has declined by around 11μg/m3, and PM 10 by around 16μg/m3. Traffic surveys indicate that peak hour traffic reduced from 319 vehicles to 149, representing a decrease of around half.

The Council introduced behaviour change initiatives ahead of advancing the traffic management element of the project to ensure that desired behaviours were well established. Extensive engagement was conducted with all local stakeholders, along with traffic flow and parking analysis and workshops in the school. The school community was aware of the well-known issues associated with the school’s morning and afternoon pick-up/drop-off periods.

The final scheme entails a part-time closure of two streets during peak drop-off and pick-up times to reduce vehicle numbers when pupils enter and leave the school. Signage erected at the entry to the zone flashes to indicate when the closure is in place; however, those exempt from the scheme, including residents, can apply for a permit. It’s encouraging to see this type of intervention being implemented to address a problematic issue many schools across the UK face.

The national cycle training programme for Scottish school children, Bikeability Scotland, has shown significant progress in introducing cycling skills to youngsters. In 2022-23, 67% of primary schools offered at least one level of Bikeability Scotland, up from 59% the previous year. Moreover, 60% delivered Level 2 on-road training, marking a national record. The participation rate also reached a record high, with 60,228 pupils participating in Bikeability Scotland, up from 52,604. This stands in contrast to a survey showing that 71% of adults in Scotland have never received any formal cycle training, underlining the importance of early cycle skills training for children to grow up confident in using active travel for some of their journeys and engaging in low carbon travel behaviour.

Participation in the Bikeability Scotland programme is widespread, with 31 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities participating. Following Bikeability Scotland training, 82% of parents expressed more willingness to let their children cycle, which is encouraging, considering parental concern over their child’s safety significantly impacts children’s ability to engage in independent activities outside the home. Additionally, 65% of pupils reported feeling more confident cycling after Bikeability training, and 45% stated that they cycled more frequently.

Since 2019, East Lothian Council and Stantec have collaborated closely with the local community in North Berwick to implement measures promoting active travel, focusing on Law Primary and North Berwick High School. The initiative was initiated by requests from the local community, particularly the Law Primary Parent Council, who expressed concerns about the safety of pupils walking and cycling to school due to traffic volume and inappropriate driver behaviour/parking.

An Action Plan was developed, comprising a series of infrastructure schemes and behaviour change initiatives aimed at achieving the following objectives:

1. Creating a more attractive and safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
2. Reducing overall dependence on cars and the environmental impact of traffic on school surroundings.
3. Increasing awareness of the availability and use of more sustainable means of travel.
4. Improving physical and mental well-being through the associated benefits of active travel.
5. Enhancing accessibility for all and reducing social exclusion.


A key success of the project was navigating through the Sustrans Places for Everyone process, enabling the Council to secure funding for a project they would otherwise not have been able to deliver. The plan has now been implemented, including signalisation of a junction, a new zebra crossing, raised crossings, footway widening, a new shared path access, and the construction of a path network that offers significantly higher levels of permeability for walking, cycling, and wheeling.

Impressively, EV charging infrastructure has been incorporated into the staff car park of Law Primary. There is no provision for drop-off/pick-up by car to encourage more sustainable travel behaviour. A combined Travel Plan for the Primary and Nursery was prepared to influence how pupils will travel now that the new infrastructure is complete.

A detailed Behaviour Change Plan was prepared and is being implemented, focusing on influencing the travel choices of school pupils and staff, local businesses and attractions, and residents, particularly for short, local trips. Extensive data collection was conducted to inform the baseline for a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, which will help assess the project’s outcomes. Until data is available, anecdotal evidence suggests improved safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists in the area.

Glasgow demonstrates meaningful youth engagement by involving children in a comprehensive road safety scheme through fun and innovation. The city’s latest STARS project combines Scotland’s largest ‘School Streets’ programme with the most prominent school film project in the UK. This School Streets pilot restricts traffic in streets surrounding schools at key times, creating a predominantly car-free zone. Alongside these physical measures, the STARS project provides schools with a choice of road safety services, including road safety skills for life talks, kerb craft training, and on-road cycle training.

In 2022/23, the STARS film element was introduced, allowing Junior Road Safety Officers to produce a short film highlighting poor road user behaviour outside the school gates. The film’s success on social media led to its inclusion in the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), with a STARS film pack available to support the scheme. This enabled every school in the city to address and highlight road safety issues in their area.

Initial evaluation showed:
Young people and teachers enjoyed the project and felt they had been part of something special.
The project allowed pupils to explore road safety challenges, risks, and opportunities to improve safety within their own local context, enabling them to explore what road safety means for them.
The project aligned well with curricular priorities, with teachers valuing the opportunity to engage in an ICT project focusing on ‘real-life’ challenges.
The project enabled the road safety team to build and strengthen connections with schools in areas of higher deprivation, some of which have traditionally been less actively involved in road safety initiatives despite being schools where road safety outcomes could often be most improved.

A total of 45 schools and 300 pupils/teachers participated in the STARS film project in 2022/23, reaching over 50,000 people within the school community through social media. This initiative illustrates how a unique and exciting development can inspire and encourage young people to learn about school travel and road safety and communicate their message to the broader community.