Peugeot Support for Local 'Walking Bus Programme' is to be Extended to Incorporate More Schools

COVENTRY – October 17, 2008: After its first anniversary, 11 Coventry primary schools have set up walking buses initiated by a City Council project funded by PSA Peugeot Citroën. The Council is now launching a new walking bus guide to help other schools benefit.

The guide was recently launched at Joseph Cash Primary School in Willenhall, where the school has set up two successful walking bus routes that have been very popular with pupils and have also improved levels of attendance and punctuality.

Walking buses are a safe, healthy and environmentally friendly way of getting to school while also reducing traffic congestion and pollution outside schools at busy times. Children join an organised group at designated 'stops' and walk to school together. Accompanied by adults and wearing high visibility clothing, they can learn about road safety as well as the environment on the way to school. The journey is also more fun as they can chat to school friends.

The PSA Peugeot Citroën Charity Trust donates £10,000 a year, over three years to the project. Councillor Nigel Lee, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Housing and Sustainability, said, "I'm delighted that more children are taking a healthy and safe route to school thanks to this grant from PSA Peugeot Citroën. Hopefully, this initiative will create healthy and environmentally friendly habits in children that will stay with them for life."

Mike Lynch, PSA Peugeot Citroën's Director of Human Resources and Chairman of the PSA Peugeot Citroën Charity Trust, said, "As a major employer in the city of Coventry we continue to explore ways to work with, and benefit the local community. This partnership with the Council expands our community relations support in what we believe to be an important area; that of increasing mobility of our younger generation and at the same time reducing vehicle emissions. PSA Peugeot Citroën is one of the leading car manufacturers in the world that has had a respected highly responsible environmental policy."

The following Coventry primary schools have set up walking buses: Christ the King Junior, Coundon; Clifford Bridge Primary, Walsgrave; Coundon Primary, Coundon; Joseph Cash Primary, Radford; Pearl Hyde Primary, Walsgrave; Potters Green Primary, Potters Green; Ravensdale Primary, Wyken; St Anne's Catholic Primary, Willenhall; St Bartholomew's Primary, Willenhall; Sir Frank Whittle Primary, Woodway Park and Stivichall Primary, Stivichall.