Free Scooters and Helmets for Primary Three Pupils
A Scottish council is providing free scooters and helmets to every primary three pupil in the region as part of an initiative to promote active travel.
This initiative, led by Scottish Borders Council (SBC), aims to encourage residents to replace short car journeys with more active travel methods. The campaign follows a successful pilot launched in Hawick last summer.
With secured funding, the council is now able to extend the offer to cover the entire local authority area.
Funding and Campaign Details
SBC's executive member for environment, sustainability and transport, Jenny Linehan, highlighted the positive response from the Hawick launch as a key reason for expanding the program.
"The positive response in Hawick showed why it was important to make active travel 'fun, accessible and practical for families'."
The additional funding for the active travel campaign, named RIDONKULOUS, has been provided by Transport Scotland.
Linehan expressed enthusiasm about the regional rollout following the success in Hawick.
"Expanding the initiative across the Scottish Borders is a great opportunity to build on that momentum, helping more children travel actively, safely and with confidence," she said.
Information for Pupils and Families
Primary three pupils will receive a comic-style flyer that explains the initiative. Additionally, parents and carers will be given a leaflet detailing the funding source and providing information on how families can opt out if they choose.
The campaign promotes healthier and more sustainable travel options, encouraging people to replace short car journeys with active travel methods such as walking, wheeling, scooting, cycling, and horse-riding where feasible.
The Scottish Borders region includes more than 50 primary schools distributed throughout the area.
