Therefore, this leads to an obvious conclusion (which I think many studies have proven): Much of the traffic on the road at these times must belong to parents driving their kids to school. 

Okay, I’m not going to rant about that because I am a guilty party. We do live far away (4.5 miles) from our kids’ school, as many Bristol children do (let’s not go down the whole Bristol schools discussion). Car is, most days, the only viable option for us as working parents. We do try and lift share, which helps a little, but the children just aren’t old enough to travel on the bus alone and even if they took the bus, it would cost us, probably more than the petrol we use. Cycling would be preferable, but asking a six year old to cycle nearly five miles up and down hills that make my thighs burn is not going to work.

Here is my solution: Yellow School Buses. 

Parents want (amongst other things) their children to be picked up locally, and early enough that the parents can get off to work. Walking in is great if you don’t have to be in your office by 9am. They want to know their children arrived at school safely. They want them on a bus that isn’t for the general public due to fears (no matter how statistically unfounded) of paedophiles and muggings. They want a bus driver trained in carrying children who is answerable to the headmaster of the school (not First Bus) and who is inclined to report on behaviour, good or bad.

Yes, it would be expensive, but how many cars would it take off the road? There are about 100 primary schools in Bristol. Let’s say they average about 250 pupils and let’s say half arrive by car. That’s 12,500 cars and it doesn’t include secondary or private schools!
It seems very simple to me.