Israeli Parents Organize "Walking Bus" to Transport Schoolchildren

Walking Schoolbus in Missouri, USA
Walking Schoolbus in Missouri, USA

Groups of parents in the Israeli cities of Kiryat Ono, Raanana and elsewhere have organized “walking schoolbuses” to transport children to school in the mornings.

Elementary-school children walking to school used to be a common sight in Israel. But modernization has led large numbers of parents to take them in the car each morning. Recent campaigns warning against allowing children under 9 to cross the street alone have further discouraged walking.

Driving kids to school increases pollution, traffic and the risk of accidents, especially near the school where kids are dropped off. So parents in Kiryat Ono made up four walking routes and asked for volunteer parents to accompany the groups of first to third graders.

With a ratio of ten children to one adult, the Kiryat Ono “bus” travels as a group visible to drivers, aided by a school flag. The kids even receive kartisiyot, a bus pass that drivers, in this case parents, punch to record a fare.

The Kiryat Ono father interviewed on the radio mentioned an added bonus in addition to the exercise and fresh air: The chance to get to know your neighbors.

For more green parenting posts by Hannah Katsman see:
Keeping Baby Hydrated and Safe in Hot Weather
Urban Design: The Traffic Circle as a Space for Art

Related:
Will Israeli Workers Lose Their Leased Cars?
The Taga Hybrid Stroller-Bike For Streets and Stores

Photo Credit: MoBikeFed

Hannah Katsman
Hannah Katsmanhttps://www.greenprophet.com/
Hannah learned environmentalism from her mother, a conservationist before it was in style. Once a burglar tried to enter their home in Cincinnati after noticing the darkened windows (covered with blankets for insulation) and the snow-covered car in the driveway. Mom always set the thermostat for 62 degrees Fahrenheit (17 Celsius) — 3 degrees lower than recommended by President Nixon — because “the thermostat is in the dining room, but the stove’s pilot light keeps the kitchen warmer.” Her mother would still have preferred today’s gas-saving pilotless stoves. Hannah studied English in college and education in graduate school, and arrived in Petach Tikva in 1990 with her husband and oldest child. Her mother died suddenly six weeks after Hannah arrived and six weeks before the first Gulf War, and Hannah stayed anyway. She has taught English but her passion is parental education and support, especially breastfeeding. She recently began a new blog about energy- and time-efficient meal preparation called CookingManager.Com. You can find her thoughts on parenting, breastfeeding, Israeli living and women in Judaism at A Mother in Israel. Hannah can be reached at hannahk (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

Read More

4 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

TRENDING

Robot Monk Gabi Takes Vows in Seoul. What Would the Buddha Have Thought?

  How many of us looked twice when we saw...

8 Questions Families Should Ask Before Choosing Assisted Living

Few family decisions carry as much weight as choosing...

The fossil fuel problem hiding in your wardrobe

The fuel pumps don't lie. When oil prices spike,...

Australia’s $25 Billion AI Moment: Infrastructure Is the Easy Part

  Microsoft's record investment in Australia will build data centres....

Stella McCartney Returns to H&M — But Should We Trust the Wool?

Stella McCartney is back at H&M, and the fashion...

How to quiet noise from construction in your office

Streets need to be resurfaced in New York but the humming and grinding noise is unsettling. Noise is environmental pollution. 

EarthX and a blueprint for sustainable investing

Trammell S. Crow, a Dallas-based businessman and father of four, is focusing his efforts on impact investing, and media that focuses on saving the planet through EarthX.

Mining Afghanistan’s Mineral Discoveries Similar to Avatar

Now that American forces in Afghanistan are commemorating the longest period of any war that America has been involved in, including the 1965-73 Vietnam War, the recent discoveries of large and extremely valuable mineral and metal deposits may finally bring to light a reason to continue the presence of US fighting forces in this war torn and backward country.

From Pilot Plant to Global Stage: How Aduro Clean Technologies’ 2026 Expansion Signals a Turning Point for Chemical Recycling Investors Like Yazan Al Homsi

The company's Next Generation Process (NGP) Pilot Plant in London, Ontario, has officially moved into initial operating campaigns, generating the kind of structured, repeatable data that separates laboratory promise from commercial viability.

Nobul’s Regan McGee on Shareholder Value: “Complacency Is the Silent Killer” 

Why the governance framework designed to protect shareholders so...

Should You Invest in the Private Market?

startustartup Unlike public stock exchanges, which offer daily trading, strict...

How to build a 100-year-company

Kongō Gumi is a Japanese construction company, purportedly founded in 578 A.D., making it the world's oldest documented company. What can we learn about building sustainable businesses from them?

How AI Helps SaaS Companies Reduce Repetitive Customer Support Work

SaaS products are designed for large numbers of users with different levels of experience, and also in renewable energy.

Popular Categories