Thursday May 28th 2026
Free scooters in the playground
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
It’s an offer to primary school pupils in the Scottish Borders that is too ‘ridonkulous’ to turn down.
Every Primary 3 pupil in the region’s schools are being offered a free scooter and helmet as Scottish Borders Council expands its RIDONKULOUS active travel campaign.
Following the successful launch of the initiative in Hawick in August 2025, additional funding has now made it possible to roll out the offer across the Borders.
Additional funding from Transport Scotland through the SEStran People and Place Programme has enabled SBC’s Active Travel Team to expand the RIDONKULOUS campaign, with scooters and helmets being offered to all Primary 3 pupils before the end of the school term.
Councillor Jenny Linehan, SBC’s executive member for Environment, Sustainability and Transport, said: “The success of the RIDONKULOUS campaign in Hawick showed just how positive the response can be when we make active travel fun, accessible and practical for families.
“Expanding the initiative across the Scottish Borders is a great opportunity to build on that momentum, helping more children travel actively, safely and with confidence.”
Primary 3 pupils will receive a comic-style flyer explaining the initiative, alongside a leaflet for parents and carers setting out how the equipment has been funded and how families can opt out if they wish.
The RIDONKULOUS campaign promotes healthier, more sustainable ways to travel and encourages people to swap short car journeys for active travel options such as walking, wheeling, scooting, cycling and horse-riding where possible.
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