Parents were told to ditch their cars and get their children to cycle to school at the launch of a multi-million pound initiative yesterday.

Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander arrived in Oxford to announce plans for a new national 'cycle-to-school' campaign.

It aims to get 100,000 extra children across the country out of cars and onto bikes by providing £15m for new cycle routes and increased proficiency training Not far away from where Mr Alexander was speaking, Oxford Community School in Glanville Road, East Oxford, is already doing its best to put the theory into practice.

The school has opened a £100,000 cycle route to the school and estimates that 85 per cent of its pupils now arrive by foot, bike or public transport.

But the message has not got through to everyone, as a number of parents stopped their cars on Barracks Lane to drop children off yesterday.

Beverly Howard, of Kennington, who drove her 11-year-old son, Sam, to the school gates, said: "It's difficult to get your child to cycle or walk to school if, like me, you live in Kennington.

"When I was small everyone took the cycling proficiency test, but that is not done as much now.

"I can honestly say the traffic in the morning is horrendous and if I don't leave at 8am I'm in real trouble.

"I'm pleased cycling to school is getting the promotion it needs."

The school encourages cycling and has 400 bike spaces as well as the cycle route, which was funded by Oxfordshire County Council and the Government Pupil Jamie Smith, 12, who arrived by bike, said: "I like cycling because it's faster. Cars are a lazy way to travel."

School projects director Pat Norman said every new parent gets leaflets encouraging them to get their children to cycle or walk.

The £15m will be spent over three years to build 10,000 miles of school cycling routes nationwide and on new cycling proficiency test training for up to 100,000 pupils, the first time a new exam has been devised in 30 years.

Mr Alexander said: "We can make parents feel safer by giving children the right training, bringing in a better cycling proficiency test and increasing the number of designated routes to school for cyclists. We need to engage with parents. I recognise they have concerns, but this is another step in the right direction.

"A lot of work is being taken forward to make sure once children are qualified they fully understand responsibilities of travelling on the road."

Mr Alexander was in Oxford to address the Transport and Climate Change Conference on greener travel at St Catherine's College, off Longwall Street.