Bike to school

• JOHN Stratton bemoans the return of traffic chaos to NW3 that accompanied the reopening of schools, (The school-run is back, March 11).

He argues that parental selfishness in driving their children to school in large cars is to blame and suggests that the bus services passing through the area (46, C11 and 603 school-time service) provide an adequate alternative.

But only a small minority of the children attending the many schools in the area live on those bus routes. Camden is working hard to develop what could provide a truly convenient alternative, a borough-wide safe cycling network.

Proposed segregated cycling lanes on Haverstock and Rosslyn Hill that he decries constitute the next stage in development of that network. They surely will become a relevant part of the solution to the school-run problem.

He is wrong to suggest they will add to congestion – the road space for them will be provided by space currently used for parking in this important through-road. And, of course, that proportion of the school-run that becomes cycle-based is no longer a cause of road congestion.

This is no pipe-dream. Most children attending school in cities with comprehensive cycling networks such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Ghent have for many years enjoyed the freedom to cycle to school safely, with their parents to age 10 to 12 and subsequently independently.

GEORGE COULOURIS, NW5