MORE pupils are choosing to walk or cycle to school following the introduction of a 20mph speed limit, the headteacher of a Caldicot primary school has said.

The B4245 – known as the Caldicot Bypass – was one of the areas chosen to trial the Welsh Government’s 20mph scheme.

However, in August, Monmouthshire council confirmed plans to revert the road back to 30mph – with the exception of a part-time 20mph limit at start and finish times around Durand Primary School.

Since the 20mph speed limit has been in place, the charity Living Streets has been working with the school, and pupils have been using the interactive WOW tracker scheme, which reward sthem if they walk or cycle to school at least once a week for a month.

In six months, the school has seen the number of pupils walking or cycling to school rise by a fifth – from 48 per cent to 69 per cent - with pupils and parents saying they “feel safer to walk to school”, “find it easier to cross the road” and it is “more pleasant, calmer and quieter”.

Headteacher Allison Waters said: “We are delighted to be playing such a prominent role in this exciting and very important initiative.

“Since we have introduced the Living Streets WOW travel tracker initiative back in January, we have seen a significant number of our pupils choosing to actively travel to school rather than come by car.

“The WOW tracker has also provided a fantastic opportunity for the children to talk about their journey to school and encourage their friends and family to make more sustainable travel choices.

“The introduction on the new reduced speed limit in in our community has also meant that our pupils now feel safer when walking to school.”

Deputy minister for climate change with a responsibility for transport, Lee Waters, visited the school for Walk to School Month.

He said: “I am delighted to see that so many families are embracing this move and now feel safe enough to leave their car at home and complete their school journey on foot.

“The evidence is clear, decreasing speeds not only reduces collisions and saves lives, but helps improve people’s quality of life - making our streets and communities a safer and more welcoming place for cyclists and pedestrians, whilst helping reduce our environmental impact.”

And Living Streets chief executive Stephen Edwards said: “Pupils, families, and school staff have really embraced walking to school and are enjoying the benefits of being active thanks to safer streets in the area.

“When we walk more and drive less, we see many improvements to our health and the air quality around us – and introducing 20mph as the default speed on our residential roads will improve the places where we live, work and go to school."

During his visit, Mr Waters told pupils the Welsh Government, along with Road Safety Wales, was launching a competition for children to design a road sign to support the new 20mph default speed limit, with the closing date being Friday, January 20.