The Health Improvement Commission is claiming a great success in its efforts to encourage more children to use ‘active travel’ to get to and from school with the number choosing pedal power increasing while the number using motorbikes has dropped.
Between October 2024 and October 2025, the number of children walking, cycling, scooting, or using a form of blended travel to get to primary school increased from 48% to 58%.
The data suggests that the number of pupils cycling has risen by 7% points alone.
Increasing numbers of secondary school pupils are also choosing active travel methods but the numbers are rising slower than among younger children.
Over the same period, the numbers of secondary school pupils using active travel to get to lessons rose from 37% to 43% with the numbers cycling increasing by 4% points.
By contrast, the number of school pupils using motorbikes or motor scooters has dropped.
The most recent data available compares numbers for May 2024 and October 2025 – with a drop from 9% to 2% usage recorded.
The gap between motorised and pedal bikes has widened significantly according to the data provided with bicycle use now 17% points higher than motorcycle use in secondary schools, compared to 6% points higher 18 months ago.
Amy Woollaston, Active Travel Officer at the Health Improvement Commission, said the most recent data shows real change is happening within our schools and mindsets are changing.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see active travel to and from Guernsey schools gaining real momentum,” she said. “October 2025 marked a milestone, recording the highest combined levels of active travel across both primary and secondary schools since data collection began.
“Our recent work with secondary schools and the Sixth Form Centre – alongside initiatives like St Sampsons’ School Street and other sustainable strategies – are demonstrating that long-term behaviour change is achievable, with schools consistently reporting year-on-year increases in active travel.
“A particularly noteworthy trend is that as cycling becomes more and more popular among secondary students, motorcycle use is falling. This widening gap may reflect the increasing appeal of electrically assisted pedal cycles (E-bikes), making cycling more accessible, convenient, and attractive for young people.
“At the Health Improvement Commission, the Be Active team is committed to helping more people be more active, more often. Walking or cycling to school regularly is one of the simplest ways to build physical activity into daily life. We aim to make the school run a healthy, fun experience for all – supporting initiatives like School Streets and advocating for improvements such as increased bicycle parking to make active travel the easier choice.
“Our ongoing challenge is to sustain the momentum from Cycle to School Week. We’re keen to support more schools with their travel plans, working closely with the Traffic and Highways team, and expanding initiatives like our ‘Learn to Ride’ after-school club which helps prepare students for Bikeability training. Bikeability continues to deliver excellent, inclusive cycle training in schools, and we’re now looking to extend our focus to adult cycling skills – empowering whole families to feel confident cycling together which in-turn supports schools in achieving more active travel and reducing congestion around their sites.
“Huge thanks to all the schools who take part in our audit and continue to drive positive change. The upward trend in active travel is fantastic news – not just for student health, but also for the environment and for the success of strategies like the On-Island Integrated Transport Strategy.”
The Active Travel Audit was introduced by the Health Improvement Commission in 2020 and since 2022 has been conducted twice a year in May and October.
All schools are expected to ask pupils how they travelled to and from school over two consecutive days.
‘Active Travel’ is defined as walking, cycling, scooting and blended travel, whereby someone might travel part of the journey by motorised vehicle and complete their journey by an active travel mode, sometimes referred to as ‘Park and Stride’.