Starting a Walking Bus
Introduction - Preparation
- Stages of Implementing your Walking Bus
- Risk Assessment
- Operating Guidelines
Introduction
- A walking bus consists of a maximum of 16 children walking in pairs.
- An adult volunteer driver is at the front of the bus and an adult volunteer conductor at the rear of the bus.
- The bus walks on a set route and it collects passengers at specific bus stops at specific times along the way.
- The bus will continue to run whether it is raining or sunny.
- The amount of days that the bus runs depends on the amount of parent/adult volunteers for each bus.
- Everyone walking with the bus will wear a reflective vest for safety.
- The children will be able to talk to friends, learn very valuable road safety skills and gain a little independence.
Preparation
To set up your own walking bus ask the Head Teacher for permission and support.
A parent or governor should be nominated by the school to act as Walking Bus Co-ordinator, who will be responsible for making the necessary arrangements with outside organisations that will help you to set up your scheme.
Stages of Implementing your Walking Bus
Stage 1
Send a letter to all parents asking whether their children would walk with a bus and whether the parents would be volunteer drivers or conductors
Stage 2
A parent or governor may be willing to take the role of Walking Bus organiser.
Analyse the returns and map out where children and parent/adult volunteers live and what routes they would take. (WBC will help with the mapping of the routes).
Stage 3
Decide if you have enough volunteers to start a walking bus it may only be from one area, and it might only run for a few days until you recruit more volunteers.
Stage 4
Arrange a meeting with the organiser and volunteers where names, addresses and telephone numbers can be collated.
All volunteers will need to complete a Criminal Records Bureau 
form if they have not been previously police checked.
Risk Assessment
Once a route has been suggested and you have enough volunteers to support the walking bus, a risk assessment of the route should be carried out by the Travel Plan Co-ordinator for Warrington Borough Council. It would be helpful if this was completed with the company of the volunteers so that any issues can be discussed and resolved.
Bus stop sites and timetables can be considered at the same time.
All volunteers would be covered by Warrington Borough Council's Public Liability Insurance.
All children must have a completed and signed parental consent forms 
allowing them to walk with a Walking Bus.
Parents must take responsibility for their child's behaviour while the child is on the walking bus. If a child endangers themselves or others then the child's parents may then be requested to withdraw that child from the Walking Bus.
An up to date record of volunteers with contact numbers, supervising which routes and bus timetables should be available to all volunteers in case a relief is needed. Drivers should have a register of all children using the bus and when.
Operating Guidelines
For further information and operating guidelines click here.
