David Blunkett for safer transport

David Blunkett, the former home secretary, is urging the government to support the introduction of a yellow school bus scheme.

Mr Blunkett, who chairs the yellow school bus commission, told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 that yellow buses had proved to be very successful in both the US and Canada.

'You actually have a very large proportion of children, particularly of primary age, carried by dedicated buses which provide safety [and] security, [and] reduce the terrible jam of the morning rush hour,' he said.

He added that because of these factors it was worth considering whether such a system should be introduced in this country.

Mr Blunkett also said that the government had welcomed such a scheme in the past but that the development project had ground to a halt.

The yellow school bus commission was set up by FirstGroup in July of this year after research carried out for the group revealed that 86 per cent of parents would like to send their children to school via this method.