The walking school bus: extending children's geographies?

In many Western cities, the journey between home and school has become problematic, due to intensifying traffic and growing fears for children's safety. Accordingly, many parents now chauffeur their children to and from school. This situation has compounded congestion, prompting efforts to identify safe alternatives. One recent innovation is the walking school bus (WSB). In this paper we report on the development of this initiative, and its adoption at a primary school in Auckland, New Zealand. We conclude that although WSBs extend children's geographies they are, at best, an ambivalent response to the hegemony of motorized transport.