After six years of school travel plans in Auckland city, the council and Auckland Regional Transport Authority launched the travel plan for Richmond Road School last week.

Mayor of Auckland city, Hon. John Banks and the council's road safety spokesperson, Councillor John Lister, joined children, guests and other dignitaries at Richmond Road School, the 70th school in the city to benefit from travel planning.

The number of Auckland children hit by cars and then hospitalised has drastically reduced. In both 2007 and 2008, eight children were hospitalised after being hit by vehicles, compared to a yearly average of 24 from 2000 to 2003.

Between 2005 and 2008, injuries from pedestrian and cycling incidents for five-to-13-year-olds fell by 48 per cent at 10 schools evaluated in Auckland city.

"School travel plans offer a toolkit of potential improvements, including 40km/h speed zones, walking school buses and infrastructure upgrades, which are custom fitted for each school's situation," says Mr Lister.