BY BERYL PATEMAN

JANET Mills is aiming to turn the clock back for pupils travelling to school.

As the newly appointed Safer Routes to School Officer for Cheshire, she is spearheading a bid to persuade youngsters and parents to make the journeys on foot or bicycle provided they can do so in safety.

"This was the norm some 20 years ago. However to enable this to happen the youngsters and their minders must feel secure in their environment," she said.

She intends to sound out the views of parents, teachers, governors and the wider local communities and will be building and expanding on the work already undertaken at schools over the past three years.

"Perhaps improvements could involve changes to road markings, alterations to junctions, creating cycle lanes or indeed changing people's views about using their car for the school run during the rush hour," she said.

"This is fundamental, because it accounts for 20 per cent of all rush hour traffic. Let's face it, everyone notices the drop in congestion during the school holidays," she added.

Janet, formerly Principal Road Safety Officer for Sefton Council, believes one solution could be a 'walking bus' in which a group of parents organise themselves into a rota system to take a line of children to and from school each day.

"This could also help combat the growing alarm about the long term effect of car dependency on a child's health and development," she said.

Sandbach Cty Cllr David Lloyd-Griffiths, who is the county's Executive Member for the Environment, explained that the authority had alrady funded minor improvements to more than 70 schools, which included cycle lanes, cycle storage facilities and new entrances for pedestrians.

"This is just one element of Janet's new post, which encompasses many strands including liaising with different county council departments and also district councils.

"The way that pupils get to and from school each day is important on the grounds of health and the environment. We have recently carried out a survey in our primary schools and this will provide essential data to help us plan for the future without compromising safety. And the same information from secondary school pupils is now being collated," he added.

Cty Cllr Lloyd-Griffiths revealed that each school area as a whole would be studied and present travel arrangements reviewed.

"I know from personal experience this is an issue which exercises the mind of many head teachers and school governing bodies.

"The whole concept of travel within Cheshire is inevitably changing.

"By putting journeys to school under the microscope we will be helping this and future generations.

"We will also be bringing more awarenesss to the significant fact that we all have a role to play in helping our health and the environment," he said.

The county's Safer Routes to School officer, Janet Mills, is calling for parents and pupils to make their journeys on foot rather than by car.