A CHATTERING bus with 60 legs instead of wheels pulled up outside Greenmeadow Primary School.

The school is the first in the town to launch a walking bus and about 30 youngsters made their way to classes by foot.

Parents put aside their vehicles and let youngsters join the walking bus, which started from the Haydon Centre in Thames Avenue.

The entire journey took about 25 minutes, but some children joined in along the way, depending on where they lived.

Like a conventional bus, children can only join at designated stops.

It relies on two parents, one acting as a driver leading the walk, and the other, known as the conductor, following behind.

The school, in conjunction with Swindon council, want to cut the number of parents driving to school and give children a healthy alternative.

Greenmeadow Primary hopes to organise a rota so parents only have to volunteer to chaperone the children twice a term.

Numerous routes may also be in the pipeline with about 16 children on each bus.

Swindon Council's school travel plan co-ordinator Jane Deeley said: "It operates in the same way as a bus - it has a route, timetables, stops and it doesn't wait.

"Well done to Greenmeadow as we had a great turnout."

She said seven schools in the borough have received grants to run walking buses.

Mum Poppy Leeder, from Haydon Wick, believes it makes life easier for all parents in the long run, and cuts traffic.

"It would be great if for a couple of days a week I could drop my daughter Hannah off and get into work half an hour early," said the 32-year-old.

"The road is choked with traffic so the more children who walk in the better."

Nine-year-old Hannah said: "I started at the beginning. It was quite fun and good to walk with my friends. It is much nicer as I'm not stuck in the car."