To the Editor,
Re: Elimination of bus route raises safety concerns among parents, April 28.
The concerns of parents regarding the safety of their children using other forms of transportation other than transit or school buses is understandable in the East Wellington Road area. However there are many solutions to address these concerns. The Greater Nanaimo Cycling Coalition has for many years advocated for safe routes to school.
In addition the GNCC has been advocating for better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclist in the area with the City of Nanaimo. We pleaded with the mayor and council of Nanaimo and Parksville for the past years to implement an active transportation strategy and start fixing the holes in the pedestrian and bicycle network.
GNCC offers courses and workshops for school and parent group teaching safe travel strategies. Some of these include ‘walking school bus’ routes and ‘bicycle train’ riding groups, establishing safe routes to school with school staff, parents, city engineering, RCMP and the GNCC, and setting up a ride board so that students and families can more easily connect to arrange carpooling.
We understand the parents’ concerns but maybe we could see this as an opportunity, to stem the epidemic rise of Type 2 diabetes among our school kids and the due to inactivity the rise of obesity among kids.
Leo BoonchairmanGreater Nanaimo Cycling Coalition