School Active Travel Survey Findings October 2025
Active travel in Bailiwick of Guernsey schools continues to rise and appears to be gaining momentum.
Active travel to and from primary schools has increased by 10% points in just 12 months since the October 2024 audit, from 48% to 58%. Cycling has increased by 7% points over this period.
Active travel to and from secondary schools has increased by 6% points over the same 12-month period since the October 2024 audit, from 37% to 43%. Cycling has increased by 6% over this period.
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 ask children in each class 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’.
Are motorcycles becoming a thing of the past for young people?
When comparing the May 2024 secondary schools travel audit with the most recent audit in October 2025 we found that:
· Motorcycle use dropped in secondaries from 9% to 2% (a decrease of 7 percentage points).
· Bicycle use in secondaries increased from 15% to 19% (an increase of 4 percentage points).
· The gap widened significantly: bicycles are now 17% points higher than motorcycles in local secondary schools, compared to 6% points higher 18 months ago.
It’s incredibly exciting to see active travel to and from Guernsey schools gaining real momentum. 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.
The Commission would like to thank 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.
For the full school active travel survey results please click HERE