THOUSANDS of pupils across Darlington are being invited to take part in a traffic initiative.

Surveys will take place next week, asking pupils to give a show of hands for their normal method of travelling to school.

Youngsters who travel by car will be quizzed about how often they share a car with other pupils.

Information from the surveys will be used as part of Darlington's Town on the Move initiative, to assess how children travel to and from school and areas that can be improved.

Five schools in Darlington are also working with the borough council on school travel plans.

Abbey Infants, Abbey Juniors, Alderman Leach Primary, Mount Pleasant Primary and Heighington Primary schools are working on plans to increase walking, cycling and use of public transport among pupils.

Nick Wallis, the council's cabinet member for transport, said: "It will be interesting to see the results from all schools participating in the survey to help focus on improving opportunities for more walking, cycling and use of public transport in areas where the uptake of these methods of travelling is reported as low."