61% of families go to school by car because of the dangerous route to Sencelles
The educational community, with the support of the City Council, is working to improve the safety of children and families on their journeys to school, while also promoting active mobility, health, and children's autonomy.
SimpleThe Sencelles Town Council has conducted a survey of families at the local school, revealing that more than half of the children now walk or cycle to school. Despite this progress towards healthier and more sustainable mobility, many families still use cars for various reasons. Notably, 61% of those surveyed believe the journey is dangerous due to the presence of other cars. This is a curious statistic, as the data shows that 61% of respondents perceive the journey as dangerous, and this is the main reason for choosing a private vehicle. It seems to be a vicious cycle. They opt for the car because it is dangerous due to the high volume of traffic. Furthermore, 58% say they use the car because they have to go to work afterward; 33% because they have young children; and 31% because they live outside the town center.
Faced with this reality, the educational community, with the support of the City Council, is working to improve the safety of children and families on their journeys to school, while also promoting active mobility, health, and children's independence.
Joan Rigo, Councilor for Participation, Equality, and the Environment, explains that "we are working with the CEIP Can Bril school, the Parents' Association (AFA), the Federation of Parents' Associations (FAPA), and Peatones Mallorca (Mallorca Pedestrians) to assess the possibility of creating safe routes to school. So far, we have held meetings and conducted a survey that has already provided us with valuable information." Rigo also explains that "we can now assess the reasons why families choose to take their children to school by car."
Among the reasons given for choosing a car for the journey, Rigo explains that some parents "choose to drop their children off on their way to work, others live in a busy area, or simply because of the perceived dangers of the route itself for children, with streets that have narrow sidewalks or are congested with cars."
Finally, Rigo affirms that "for me, this is a flagship project of this term; it's a citizen participation initiative where we will gradually announce improvements and proposals to make these school journeys much safer."
