The Walking Bus was invented by David Engwicht in 1991 to overcome the problems of traffic safety and perceptions of stranger danger. A 'Walking Bus Driver' walks a set route each morning and afternoon and picks up children at Walking Bus Stops. Walking Buses can be organized informally with parents and children making their own arrangements, or in many places it is a formalized program.

In the article Is the Walking School Bus stalled in an evolutionary cul-de-sac? David Engwicht argues that the Walking Bus is best left as an informal arrangement and suggests that it should be integrated into new programs such as Traffic Tamers or Red Sneaker Routes.