Northern Ireland pupils still rely heavily on cars for school travel
Date published:
Topics:
Transport
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department for Infrastructure present data on how pupils travel to and from school in Northern Ireland during the 2023/24 academic year.
Key findings:
- 61% of primary school pupils travel to/from school by car, while only 26% walk and 1% cycle
- For post-primary pupils, 42% travel by car, 41% by bus and 15% walk to/from school
- 51% of primary school pupils live within a mile of their school, yet only 46% of these children walk while 48% are driven
- Among post-primary pupils, only 19% live within a mile of their school, with 56% of these walking
- 94% of primary school pupils who walk do so for the entire journey
- The cycling rate remains consistently low at 1% for both primary and post-primary pupils
About the publication
The full report provides analysis of:
- Main modes of travel to and from school
- All modes of travel used by pupils
- Walking patterns and behaviours
- Distance from home to school
- Cycling rates and trends
This is the eleventh annual report examining school travel patterns, based on data from the Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey. The statistics help monitor initiatives aimed at increasing active travel among schoolchildren.
Further Information
Read the full report: Travel to and from school by pupils in Northern Ireland 2023/24