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Walking: Children

Asked by Dr Al PinkertonLiberal DemocratDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 24861

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on evidential standards when measuring walking distances for home-to-school transport eligibility in Surrey.

Answered by Department for Transport

It is the responsibility of local authorities (LAs) to measure routes and determine whether a child lives beyond the statutory walking distance from their school. Our statutory guidance explains that, when making this assessment, LAs must measure the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk in reasonable safety. This includes sections that use footpaths or bridleways, as well as sections that use roads. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel.

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