Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that road safety measures in the vicinity of primary schools are given a priority status within (a) national transport policy and (b) guidance to local authorities.

Road safety around schools is a priority for the Government, particularly the safety of children travelling to and from school.

Protection for children is not limited to the immediate school frontage; national transport policy focuses on improving safety along the whole journeys commonly made by children and young people, including routes to school. This approach includes the use of 20 mph limits where appropriate, alongside safer crossing facilities, traffic calming measures, School Streets schemes, enforcement, and school travel planning. The Government supports delivery of these measures through national funding, including £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance between 2026–27 and 2029–30, which local authorities can use to maintain and improve their road networks, including roads in the vicinity of schools.

Active Travel England (ATE) encourages authorities to consider a range of walking and cycling schemes to deal with local needs, including active travel to school. The Department for Transport and ATE have developed and published specific guidance on how to develop an effective School Streets scheme. School Streets can improve the experiences of a school’s pupils, staff, visitors, and neighbours alike at peak school arrival and departure times.