Edinburgh environment: Children concerned about air pollution take their case to City Chambers

At an event hosted by CBeebies presenter Rory Crawford, children, parents and teachers will argue for more “school zones”, more space on streets for cycling, walking and scooting, and free public transport for parents and carers travelling with children. Councillors, MPs and MSPs have been invited to attend.

Twenty schools recently took part in an Air Pollution Programme organised by charity Parents for Future Scotland, which encouraged pupils to learn about what causes air pollution, research the effects it has on health and wellbeing, and come up with suggestions that would improve air quality in Edinburgh.

Children want more space for cycling and less air pollution. Picture: SylwiaAptacy/Pixabay

Popular ideas were:

• School zones where vehicles are not allowed on roads outside school entrances during school hours; shutting off roads outside schools before, during and after the school day and having this monitored by traffic wardens and police to ensure that cars are not breaking the rules; permanent road closures where schools take over the streets and incorporate them into the playground area.

• Building on alterations made through the Spaces for People scheme during Covid by dedicating more space on roads for walking, cycling, wheeling and pushing a buggy; looking at ways to widen pavements, give bikes and pedestrians priority over vehicles and make it safer for those choosing to travel to school without a car.

• Free public transport for carers travelling with children, providing an incentive to use public transport rather than travelling by car.

Claire Larkin, director or Parents for Future Scotland, said: “Air pollution just isn’t talked about and yet it has been linked to heart disease, dementia and strokes.

“Children and parents in Edinburgh want a safe commute to school, but for this to be possible we need to cut our traffic emissions.

“We have engaged with one fifth of primary schools in Edinburgh and these are the legislative changes children and parents believe will be most effective at reducing emissions in their neighbourhoods.

“Communities have the solutions to their own problems and we are delighted to facilitate children and parents to ask for these changes from the council. We hope that they will be taken into serious consideration.”