Rethinking the school run in Sunderland - children, parents and transport chiefs prepare for school reopenings

Usual options such as buses and Metros are due to have capacity limited under social distancing guidelines intended to limit the spread of coronavirus.

And education chiefs hope it could see more parents and youngsters keeping active as well as safe, with greater use of foot and cycle routes.

Graeme Miller, the leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “As our schools, academies and colleges open again to pupils and students, now is a good time to think or rethink the school or college run.

“It’s always possible to walk or cycle where the journey may be a shorter one or using the car for only part of the journey and dropping passengers off further away from gates and entrances.

“We are encouraging everybody to think about staying safe, staying active, and walking, cycling or scooting to school more.”

Most schools are expected to reopen in the week starting September 7, marking the first time many pupils will have seen the inside of a classroom since March, when the COVID-19 outbreak forced many to close.

In the run up to this, Tyne and Wear transport operator Nexus has advised anyone using cash to pay for buses to carry the exact change needed, if possible.

And anyone travelling during the week has been urged to adjust their journey times to avoid peak school run traffic.

Martin Kearney, chief operating officer at Nexus, said: “We know parents will have more interest than ever in how their children get to and from school following lockdown.

“We have made extensive plans to make sure pupils can travel comfortably, providing more than 100 extra buses so pupils can travel in line with the latest public health advice on Covid-19.

“There are many ways to get to school, and young people themselves often want to travel as sustainably as possible by walking, cycling or using public transport.

“Where people need and choose bus and Metro, they can do so with confidence.”

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.sunderlandecho.com/subscriptions to sign up.

You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here: https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/

Thank you.