PROPOSALS FOR CONDUCTIONG CPS
ON TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Environmental Issues:
School Idle Free Policy
Infrastructure Issues:
SM SMJA will conduct ‘No Car Reward’ Programme for Students.
Social and Cultural Issues:
The School to Provide Safe Routes to School to Promote Students Who Live within 5km From the School to Walk To and From School.
Economical Issues:
SM SMJA Will Increase the Percentage of Students Using the School Bus.
A PROPOSAL FOR CONDUCTION CPS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - SCHOOL IDLE FREE POLICY.
INTRODUCTION
The combustion of petrol or diesel - hydrocarbons produce carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide, one of the green house gases, is the main heat-trapping gas that contributes to global warming. Three factors contribute to CO2 emissions from cars and trucks are the amount of fuel used, amount of CO2 released when a particular fuel is consumed and number of vehicle miles travelled. For example, motor vehicles are responsible for almost a quarter of annual
The effects and possible solutions to the problems related to traffic congestion
Idling causes pollutes the air and harms health. Idling tailpipes spew out the same pollutants that form unhealthy smog and soot as those moving cars. Nitrogen oxide, particulate matter carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds are the main health-harming pollutants in vehicle emissions. These pollutants have been linked to serious human illness, including: asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis and cancer. There are a number of economic factors that are impacted directly from traffic congestion. The first deals with time and accountability. For working parents, an hour or more per day is lost from work due to travelling and waiting to send children to and from school. Another problem is money is wasted when idling because it burns fuel but does not get you anywhere.
In order to curb or reduce the harmful effect of vehicle emissions on the environment and the health of the school stakeholders, therefore it is important for the school to encourage parents to stop idling and turn off their engine if they are waiting for more than 10 seconds.
Purpose of the proposal
Based on the above mentioned effects and solution to the problem related to traffic congestion, therefore it is the purpose of the proposal to reduce and stop the problems of idling among parents.
Significance of the proposal
1. To implant awareness to SMJA school community and parents about the danger and harmful effects of the emission of the carbon dioxide and other poisonous gases, especially while idling.
2. To educate SMJA school community and parents on how to reduce and stop the problems of idling, hence reducing the emission of the poisonous gases.
3. To encourage all stakeholders to cooperate collaboratively towards the success of this vision.
4. To create a healthy environment and healthy lifestyle
Methodology
a) For the success of the vision, the cooperation from the team members, principals, staffs, parents, students and securities are highly needed.
b) Prior to the implementation of the vision, meeting and power point presentation discussing the vision will be held involving the team member, principal and staffs and securities.
c) Leaflets (see appendix 1) will be distributed to all school stakeholders (including staff and students-parents).
d) Once leaflets have been distributed, the securities will help to make sure that parents will stop idling by asking them politely to do so. This should be done around parking area, during school peak hours when parents send and pick their children to and from the school.
e) The next vision will be done continuously until idling has been in controlled.
Possible limitations and solution to the limitations of the vision
| Possible limitations | Possible solution |
| Parents will not participate in realising the vision. | Conduct a meeting between the school and all the parents regarding the significance of the vision to the environment especially their children. |
| Not many students will cycle or walk to school. | To give more incentives to the students who cycle or walk to school, such as by giving them instant rewards in the form of a bottle of water or food coupon at a certain set day. |
A PROPOSAL FOR CONDUCTIONG CPS ON INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE - NO CAR REWARD PROGRAMMES FOR STUDENTS
INTRODUCTION
Traffic congestion
The number of cars on the road is expected to double; gains in fuel efficiency alone will not reduce CO2 pollution. To reduce vehicle miles (VMT), government policies should: Promote transit-oriented and provide transportation alternatives to cars, including mass transit, bicycle, and pedestrian routes. For example, in Amsterdam, 40 percent of all traffic movement is bicycle. Paris has just introduced a rent a bike system designed to persuade commuters to turn to the cycles as an attempt to curb pollution.
Therefore, it is proposed that the school to encourage students to walk or cycle to school by:
· Teachers enhancing the programme by enabling students to earn points and/or rewards based on how frequently they walk or cycle to school.
For example, ten Herefordshire schools received a cash boost after successfully completing new school travel plans to reduce traffic congestion. Approved by Herefordshire Council, these schools received grant awards from the department for children, schools and families in the region of £4-5,000 for primary schools and £9-10,000 for secondary schools.
The Strategy of NO CAR Reward ProgramME
NO CAR reward programme is a program where students are rewarded for walking or cycling, based on their frequencies. It is designed to increase the number of students to walk or cycle to school. NO CAR reward programme can be designed on individual basis where every student will collect as many stamp chopped on their reward stamp as possible, depending on the frequency of walking or cycling to school. The winners will be given prizes, trophies and certificate.
Significance of NO CAR Reward Programme
1. To support and enhance Mardiah’s (one of the members in Transport group) proposal to increase the number of students walking (and cycle) to school.
2. To provide quick reinforcement for students to walk and cycle to schools. This is because students like incentives or enticement.
3. To create a healthy environment and healthy lifestyle among students.
4. To involve all students to appreciate the environment and reduce the effects of traffic congestion
Methodology
Before the launching of NO CAR Reward Programme:
· The school need to plan and assign coordinators for the programme.
· The coordinators need to decide on the source of fund of the reward. As the programme involve in educating the students, therefore school fund can be used for this purpose. The school can also get sponsors from NGOs, such as banks and shell companies.
· The coordinators need to decide on the type of rewards, this can be in the form of prizes, certificates and trophies.
· The coordinators need to involve and get support from the environmental-related clubs in the school to design advertisements on this programme. The advertisement should state and draw the kind of rewards the students can win. These can attract and reminds students on the program, and act upon it.
· The coordinators need to create system on how to monitor and calculate the frequency of students walk or cycle to school. This can be done by:
o Stamping the reward stamp each time they walk or cycle to school.
o The stamping can be done on daily basis or at a certain set of date.
The Launching of NO CAR Reward Programme:
· The principal to conduct an assembly to launch and inform briefly the objectives and benefits of the reward program.
· To put up the advertisement of the programme during the launching. The advertisement will be put up at all time after the launching.
· On the day, after the launching, form teachers to:
o Encourage students to be actively support the programme.
o Distribute flyers (Mardiah’s flyers on the benefit or walking to school) to students.
o Distribute the reward stamp to students.
· After the launching, the coordinators to:
o Stamp on the reward stamp of those students who walk and cycle to school.
- Track and monitor the effectiveness of the reward programme.
- Make changes where applicable.
Before the end of the first round of NO CAR Reward Programme:
f) Coordinators with the help from the form teachers to identify those students who collect the most stamps, and can win the program.
During the rewarding day of NO CAR Reward Programme:
g) To reward those students who able to collect the highest number of stamps.
Possible limitations and solutions to the NO CAR Reward Programme
| Possible limitations | Possible solution |
| Parents will not participate in realising the programme. | Conduct a meeting between the school and all the students and parents who live within 5 km from school regarding: The significance of the programme to the environment especially health of their children. To show the safe routes (as proposed by Mardiah) for the students to follow. |
| Parents will not ask their students to walk and cycle to school as it is dangerous | Conduct a meeting between the school and all the students and parents who live within 5 km from school regarding: The significance of the programme to the environment especially health of their children. To show the safe routes (as proposed by Mardiah) for the students to follow. The school is to get help from the securities to guide those students who walk and cycle to school, at least 200 m from the school area. |
| Not many students will cycle or walk to school. | To give more incentives to the students who cycle or walk to school, such as by giving them instant rewards in the form of a bottle of water or food coupon at a certain set day. |
The sample of the reward stamp
Coordinators may use school stamp or any official NO CAR Reward Programme stamp:
| APRIL 2010 | ||||
| DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: |
| DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: |
| DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: |
| DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: | DATE: |
| TOTAL OF STAMP(S) FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2010 | | |||
A PROPOSAL FOR CONDUCTING CPS ON SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES – THE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL TO PROMOTE STUDENTS WHO LIVE WITHIN 5KM FROM THE SCHOOL TO WALK TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
This program on Safe Routes to School is adapted from SRTS in New Jersey, US. It is proposed to SMJA because of its location. The school has great places for walking but only few students are taking advantage of it.
Introduction
One in four schoolchildren in Brunei is obese or overweight, statistics from the Health Promotion Centre under the Ministry of Health (MoH) show (Figure 1). In 2008 alone, it was found that 4,172 schoolchildren in the Sultanate were overweight while 3,816 were obese. It is due to factors such as diet and lack of physical activity among children. The number of overweight or obese schoolchildren was alarming; the Ministry of health will not be able to overcome the problem on its own. It needs the support of government agencies, supermarkets, restaurants, parents and teachers to start getting involved in the addressing the matter. For teachers, it was hoped that teachers themselves will develop an interest in this issue. Teachers are to think of interesting ways that will help students understand the message of a leading a healthy lifestyle. Teachers should be concerned about the students’ health because being obese or overweight will affect their studies and health. One way of promoting health to schoolchildren is to encourage them to walk to school.
What is Safe Routes to School?
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are sustained efforts by school to improve the health and well-being of students by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school.
SRTS programs examine conditions around schools and conduct projects and activities that work to improve safety and accessibility, and reduce traffic and air pollution in the surrounding area of the schools. As a result, these programs help make bicycling and walking to school safer and more appealing transportation choices thus encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age.
Safe Routes to School programs enable schools and parents of SMJA to improve safety and encourage more students to safely walk and cycle to school. In the process, programs are working to reduce traffic congestion and improve health and the environment, making communities more liveable for everyone.
Introduction to Safe Routes to School: the Health, Safety and Transportation Nexus
Today, there is a need to provide options that allow all children to walk and bicycle to school safely. Many communities struggle with traffic congestion around schools and motor vehicle emissions polluting the environment. At the same time, children in general engage in less physical activity, which contributes to the growing epidemic of obesity. At first glance, these problems may seem to be separate issues, but Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs can address all these challenges through a coordinated action plan.
SRTS programs use a variety of education, engineering and enforcement strategies that help make routes safer for children to walk and bicycle to school and encouragement strategies to attract more children to walk and cycle.
The implications of SRTS can be far-reaching; SRTS programs can improve safety not just for children, but for a community of pedestrians and bicyclists. They provide opportunities for people to become more physically active and to rely on their cars. SRTS programs benefit the environment and a community’s quality of life by reducing traffic congestion and motor vehicle emissions.
For communities concerned about traffic jams, unsafe walking conditions, physically inactive lifestyles and overall quality of life, SRTS programs can be an effective starting point for tackling these issues.
Health Risks
Regular physical activity helps build and maintain healthy bones and muscles, reduces the risk of developing obesity and chronic diseases, reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, and promotes psychological well-being. Despite these benefits, many children are not getting adequate physical activity.
Overweight and Obesity on the Rise.
When it comes to children’s health, the costs of inadequate physical activity and poor eating habits are alarming. Inadequate physical activity and poor eating habits are major contributors to the increased rates of childhood obesity and overweight in Brunei Darussalam. Obese children are at least twice as likely to become obese adults. This puts obese children at greater risk for premature death and chronic diseases than their healthy weight counterparts.
The following table shows the statistics of obesity among school children in 2008.
Figure 1:
Statistics of Obesity among School Children in 2008
Why Safe Routes to School should be supported?
There are few good reasons to support Safe Routes to School.
· For Safety
Traffic clogs the roads around schools, creating unsafe conditions. Sadly, when students are involved in pedestrian crashes near schools, the vehicles are often driven by parents.
· For healthy children
In 2008, the percentage of obese children in Brunei is 12.9% and overweight children are 14.1% (source Health Promotion Centre. Retrieved from http://www.bt.com.bn/en/news-national/2010/02/10/obesity-balloons-among-brunei-students). Instilling good habits of nutrition and physical activity in children can prevent obesity.
· For a healthy environment
By encouraging walking to school both motor vehicle traffic and unhealthy auto emissions are significantly reduced around schools.
Strategies of Safe Routes to School.
1. Engineering. This strategy focuses on operational and physical environments around the school to reduce speed and pedestrian/vehicle conflicts such as traffic calming devices and school zone designations. It also may include the improvement or creation of safe, accessible crossings, sidewalks, walkways and trails.
2. Enforcement. A partnership with police force is key to achieving this goal. Law enforcers will ensure that traffic laws, especially speeding and yielding to pedestrians, are obeyed near schools. They may initiate a crossing guard program and sponsor activities such as public awareness campaigns and crosswalk enforcement.
3. Education. Education is geared to teaching children and parents about a broad range of transportation choices, including lifetime walking safety skills and driver safety.
4. Encouragement. Activities and events that promote walking to school will encourage more students and parents to do so.
Methodology
1. Obtain information on:
a. Statistics of obesity and overweight children in Brunei.
b. Benefits of walking
2. Obtain the number of students who walked to school as well as their residential area from the school administration.
3. Prepare handouts on Safe Routes to School – as in the presentation slides.
4. Prepare leaflets on benefits of walking to students and parents through teachers.
Note:
This SRTS is an adaptation from National Centre for Safe Routes to School in New Jersey, USA.
References:
National Center for Safe Routes to School. Retrieved from http://www.saferoutesinfo.org.
A PROPOSAL FOR CONDUCTING CPS ON ECONOMICAL ISSUE - SM SMJA WILL INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS USING THE SCHOOL BUS.
I hope by giving this brief information the school will agree to conduct the project in the school.
Introduction
By increasing the number of students using the bus, we hope to reduce the number of cars waiting or idling in the school compound. By limiting the number of cars in the school compound during rush hour, we will hopefully ease the traffic congestion. Traffic congestion leads to lost of time for parents and students ("opportunity cost"). As a non-productive activity for most people, congestion reduces regional economic health. Delays in day to day routine may result in late arrival for employment, meetings, and education, resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses. Inability to forecast travel time accurately can lead to parents allocating more time to travel "just in case", and less time on productive activities. Increased idling, acceleration and braking wastes fuel which in turn increases air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions that may contribute to global warming. Increased fuel use may also in theory, cause a rise in fuel costs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion).
Wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent acceleration and braking can lead to more frequent repairs and replacements. Using the school bus can improve safety, wellbeing, attendance and timeliness.
Methodology
1. Acquire information on the percentage of students currently using the bus;
2. Identify target group based on the availability of bus service;
3. Prepare a handout on the advantages of using the school bus;
4. Distribute the handouts to parents of target groups through their children’s class teachers.
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