According to a recent survey, parents of school-going children and nearby residents support the idea of traffic-free streets outside schools. Vehicular pollution contributes largely to the ambient air pollution level. Many people are concerned about their children suffering from the harmful effects of air pollution. Hence, cars and other modes of transportation could be banned from outside schools to cut air pollution.
Presently air pollution has been one of the biggest concern in the whole world. With so many health issues making it to the headlines in top news reports, parents of school going kids are worried about their children’s health.
Should vehicles be banned from idling outside schools to cut air pollution?
More than 90% of children aged between 3-12 years are suffering from health issues including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Majority of the schools and educational institutions are very close to the busy highways. The vehicles idling around schools can be really dangerous when the harmful particles emitted from them getting mixed with the ambient air. This mixture can in turn wash over to the school’s campus due to the changes in wind speed, spreading bad air that can have fatal effects on children.
According to the reports from the recent survey conducted among parents, more than 35% of parents have agreed that vehicles of any kind must be banned from outside schools. This would be one short step towards cutting air pollution besides many other things.
The impact of car exhaust fumes from vehicles during drop-off and pick-up time could lead to an increase of over 40% in vehicular emission than on the highway roads itself. There should be strict traffic restrictions on the roads around the school vicinities to avoid the rise in pollution.
What parents say about banning vehicles from outside the schools to cut air pollution?
Here are a few comments that are trending on social media where parents are seen talking about the ban on the vehicles from outside the school.
“Urgent action from the government at all levels to provide meaningful investment in walking and cycling infrastructure is necessary so that every child is able to travel to school on foot or by cycle in safety and with confidence.”
“We all know that we are living with dangerous levels of air pollution in our towns and cities. More than 45% of primary school children travel to school by car or 2-wheeled vehicles – which is only contributing to the problem we have been in discussion for so long now.”
“To see an uptake in cycling, we need to make it easier for families to walk and cycle to school. This will prevent those most vulnerable, such as children, from being exposed to toxic levels of air pollution while enabling them to easily slot in physical activity into their day.”
