Australia鈥檚 children are travelling further, moving less, and relying more heavily on cars than ever before,听a new survey听examining school commuting shows.听
Led by听听from the听School of Architecture, Design and Planning,听听draws on responses from 4,968 families and travel data for 7,880 children.
Most Australian children now start the day in a car, with private vehicles accounting for 61percent听of school trips nationwide. Walking and cycling make up just 21听percent听of trips, while public transport (10percent) and dedicated school buses (8percent) play听relatively minor听roles.
Car dependence is no longer just a transport issue, it is reshaping childhood, straining families, and deepening inequities in access to education and activities.
Associate Professor Jennifer Kent
School of Architecture, Design and Planning
鈥淐ar听dependence is no longer just a transport issue,听it听is reshaping childhood, straining families, and deepening inequities in access to education and activities,鈥 said Associate Professor Kent.
鈥淔or most Australian families, the school day now starts in the car. Even when children live close to school, driving has become the default, not the exception.
鈥淒istance matters, but our data shows it听isn鈥檛听the whole story.听Nearly four听in ten children who live within a听kilometre听of school are still driven, which points to missed opportunities to support safe, active travel.
"We are losing opportunities for children to be active,听independent听and connected to their communities.听Our survey points to a need to听invest in听travel systems听supporting children, not cars.
Car dependence increases sharply听with distance.听Two-thirds of听children听living听more than three听kilometres听from听school听travel听by car. Public transport and school buses听become significant听only听for longer journeys, reinforcing the听central role听of school location in shaping family travel patterns.
The survey also highlights clear differences between听school听sectors. Public school students who attend a school outside their local catchment travel much further than other students, with most living more than three听kilometres听from school. As a result, they are also the most car-dependent听group and听are far more likely to be driven than students who attend their local public school.
鈥淐hildren鈥檚 access to independence, activities and even听school听itself increasingly depends on where families can afford to live and which schools they can access. Our data shows听car dependence and long travel times are becoming a marker of inequality in Australian childhoods,鈥澨齭aid听Associate Professor听Kent.
The survey also highlights听that听children鈥檚 transport needs听don鈥檛听end when the school bell rings.听
鈥淪chool travel听doesn鈥檛听end at 3pm. With most children attending extracurricular activities and more than 80 per cent of those trips made by car, parents are effectively running transport networks every day of the week,鈥澨齟xplained Dr Kent.
The survey听shows听a听growing time,听cost,听and logistical burden听on families, as well as broader implications for traffic congestion, children鈥檚 health, urban听planning,听and equity of access to education and activities.
鈥淭his trajectory is not inevitable -听it鈥檚听a policy choice. Germany shows听what鈥檚听possible: slower street speeds听and听high local school attendance听sees听seven in ten children walking or cycling. In Australia,听higher speed zones听and out-of-catchment enrolments leave just two in ten doing the same,鈥澨齭aid Associate Professor Kent.
We urgently need coordinated action from governments, schools, planners and communities to make walking, cycling and public transport the easy option, not the exception.
Associate Professor Jennifer Kent
鈥淭hat听means investing in safe routes to school, designing听neighbourhoods听that bring families closer to education, reducing reliance on out鈥憃f鈥慶atchment enrolments, funding our public education system听better听and giving children real independence through better infrastructure and safer streets.
"Schools can play a pivotal role by supporting active travel programs, revising travel policies, and working with families to remove barriers to walking and cycling.
鈥淎ustralia cannot afford to allow school travel to dictate the structure,听and strain,听of family life.鈥
听
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The Australian School Travel Survey
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