Active travel should not mean breathing toxic air that will reduce lung capacity by 10%, increasing the risk of lifelong illness and shortening life expectancy � but like hundreds of thousands of young children who start primary school in September 2019, this four year old wants to cycle or scoot to school.

Children need safe clean air routes to walk, scoot or cycle to nursery/school. Those who travel and attend schools on busy congested main roads must be protected, with drivers told to: stop, switch off your engine and wait for the section of road ahead to clear, thus significantly reducing vehicle emissions and air pollution.

Children waiting at kerbside bus shelters for 12 minutes a day, 190 school days a year (38 hours a year!) should not have vehicles stopping, idling and accelerating right next to them when drivers can so easily Keep Clear, stop a few metres before the bus shelter and wait till they can drive by.

When children arrive at school they should not be forced to breathe toxic air from the exhaust of idling vehicles because the law permits adults to choose their personal comfort and convenience over the health of babies and young children.�

It doesn't have to be this way. We can affect change but time is literally running out for these children. If you haven't already signed the petitions, here they are:

Pilot our 'school run' traffic management solution: https://www.change.org/p/sadiq-khan-please-pilot-this-low-c

Keep vehicles clear at kerbside bus shelters: https://www.change.org/p/sadiq-khan-reduce-children-s-expos

Change the law to stop vehicles idling outside schools, nurseries, GPs, hospitals: https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-stop-vehicles-idling

If you've already signed the petitions, thank you and please share as widely as possible.

David & Eli