CHESHIRE East Council is seeking parents' views on how their children travel to school so it can prepare for their safe return in September.

Recent government guidance has asked councils to work with schools, parents, carers and transport providers to put in place measures to minimise the risks from coronavirus.

These include increased hygiene, cleaning and social distancing on school transport.

The government has asked councils to work with schools, including surveying parents on the typical routes to school used by their children and potential alternatives as well as traffic management.

Two online surveys have been set up:

â— A dedicated survey for parents that rely on the authority to provide home-to-school travel assistance. This group will be contacted directly by the council's transport company, Transport Services Solutions (TSS).

â— A survey for those that travel to school on either public transport or by other means. This group will be contacted directly by the schools.

Councillor Kathryn Flavell, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for children and families said: "We need to consider all options to make children's travel to school as safe as possible.

"Through these surveys we are seeking help from parents and carers to enable us to identify alternative travel options, where possible.

"We know that many parents are apprehensive about their children going back to school and we want to make school transport as safe as we can. The survey should take five minutes to complete and will help us enormously to put plans into place ahead of children returning to school in September."

Councillor Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for highways and waste said: "Our surveys are a chance for parents and carers to carefully consider whether there are opportunities to walk or cycle to schools.

"Active travel will be increasingly important as the pressures on public transport are managed if we are to avoid far greater levels of traffic congestion at and around schools."

The deadline for responses to both surveys is July 20.