What are bike buses?
Bike buses or ‘bicibuses’ are fun, green and their popularity increases. Bike buses create a safe way for hundreds of children to cycle to school in a convoy that takes up the streets in Barcelona, the second-largest city in Spain.
The project led by citizens, which the Barcelona City Council supports, started in March 2021 with only one route around Sarria. Today it has 15 routes and this idea inspires similar projects in Glasgow, Scotland and Portland, USA.
One of the volunteers who assures the safety of children on the road and the father of one of the children who regularly takes part in the bike bus, says that his daughter wakes up excited to join the bike bus on her bicycle.
The Eixample route starts at 8.30am and covers 2.5 kilometres in 25 minutes, with stops at three schools from Monday to Friday. However, not all the routes are in service daily. Road safety is ensured by police cars and parents.
According to organisers, over 700 people took part on the various routes during the 2020/2021 school year, which translates into approximately 15 thousand trips to different Barcelona schools during this time. Also, the bike bus project’ goal is to promote more sustainable long-term transport and cycling habits of both children and parents and possibly change the travel habits of entire families.
Where else do bike buses run?
Spain is not the only European country where children ride bikes together to school.
The Netherlands, which is far ahead of other countries in cycling. The Netherlands has the infrastructure for these convoys but also uses unique vehicles that are powered by cycling children.
Rouen, the city in northern France, also introduced a school bus powered by pedals in 2016.
In Glasgow, the council has developed a technology that is able to stop the traffic in order to ensure the safe passage of the Shawlands cycle bus.
The Ultra-Smart Cycle System is mounted on the bike of the leading rider and uses a military-grade encrypted signal which, when pressed as it approaches an intersection, triggers a specially timed traffic light cycle that lasts 45 seconds. That is enough time for all the riders to pass.