A PILOT active travel project has proven so successful at an Alloa school, that it is set to be rolled out for more pupils in the area.

Climate charity Forth Environment Link is opening two more school-based active travel hubs, following the successful pilot initiative at Lornshill Academy.

In what was a first-of-its-kind scheme in Scotland, the Lornshill hub was put into motion in 2019 with a significant increase in pupils walking or cycling to school soon following.

According to a survey from March this year, nearly half of students are taking active routes to school with a third travelling by bus and less than a fifth by car.

This compares to just 38 per cent of pupils walking or cycling to Lornshill in 2019.

Building on the success at Lornshill, Alloa Academy along with Bannockburn High School will also see active travel hubs opening.

Shirley Paterson, active travel development manager at the charity, said: "We've been working with Lornshill Academy for over three years now and in that time we've witnessed first-hand the incredible impact that a school active travel hub has had on walking and cycling rates, as well as on pupil health and wellbeing.

"When we started just three pupils were cycling to school, now nearly half of students are choosing walking or cycling over the bus or car.

"The success of this intervention is proof that community-based hubs like this work.

"Making cycling and walking more visible every day means more people want to do it.

"We're delighted to see the model being rolled out to more schools in Forth Valley and are keen to see hubs like this set up in secondary schools across Scotland."

The project at Lornshill has seen 172 pupils given their own bike for free while nearly 200 took advantage of bike safety and maintenance training to improve their confidence and abilities.

A free e-bike lending library has also been made available to senior pupils across all three high schools in Clackmannanshire.

Pupils at Alloa Academy are already part of the annual Clacks Schools Step Count Challenge but health and fitness teacher Chris Jewell is looking forward to adding cycling to the mix.

He said: "With cycling being of huge interest to many of our pupils, we're hoping to tap into this enthusiasm to benefit the school, environment and local community."

The two school active travel hubs are funded by the Paths for All, Smarter Choices, Smarter Places fund.