Pupil power as Leeds youngsters scoot to school

Hundreds of scooters are being given to primary schools across Leeds as part of an energetic new scheme to tackle air pollution and protect the health of children in the city.
The scheme will encourage children to swap four wheels for two and scoot to school instead of being driven. Pupils from Pool-in-Wharfedale CE Primary School. try them out.
12th February 2019.
Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe — Hundreds of scooters are being given to primary schools across Leeds as part of an energetic new scheme to tackle air pollution and protect the health of children in the city. The scheme will encourage children to swap four wheels for two and scoot to school instead of being driven. Pupils from Pool-in-Wharfedale CE Primary School. try them out. 12th February 2019. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe

Hundreds of scooters are being given to primary schools across the city as part of an energetic new scheme to tackle air pollution and protect the health of local children.

The scheme will encourage children to swap four wheels for two and scoot to school instead of being driven.

Scooters and scooter storage will be rolled out across 30 primary schools in Leeds; most are located within the Clean Air Charging Zone that will come into effect on January 6, 2020.

Chris Burn test drives an electric car around Leeds as part of feature on city's attempts to cut diesel emissions and become a 'Clean Air Zone'.
26th April 2017.
Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe — Chris Burn test drives an electric car around Leeds as part of feature on city's attempts to cut diesel emissions and become a 'Clean Air Zone'. 26th April 2017. Picture Jonathan Gawthorpe

By reducing the number of cars making the school run every morning, the scheme aims to improve air quality around the primary schools and help Leeds reach national air quality targets as soon as possible.

Coun James Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for sustainability and the environment. said: “This new scheme means a breath  of fresh air for children in Leeds – both figuratively and literally.

“Instead of a boring drive to class, children will now be able to safely scoot to school with friends and parents instead, which is a lot more fun.

“We’re planning to target thirty schools where we think the scheme will be most effective. However, if the scheme proves popular and successful at tackling local air pollution we could expand the scheme to even more schools.”

As well as receiving funding for new scooters and their storage, recipient schools will receive scooter training, Theatre in Education workshops on air quality and a range of lesson plans which include practical experiments using handheld air quality monitors.

It comes as Leeds City Council asks drivers in the city to do their bit to help fight air pollution by turning off their engines if they think they will be stationary for two minutes or longer.

Both schemes are made possible thanks to more than £150,000 of government funding, part of £2.8m given to Leeds City Council to improve air quality in Leeds.

Elsewhere, unwanted bicycles are being collected from across the region, as part of a new scheme to encourage more people to take up cycling.

Old bicycles are also being repaired and lent out to families free of charge, as part of the Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries scheme.