Bike Bus gains supporters as a way to promote sustainable and safe mobility
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The Bike Bus movement has emerged as a powerful tool to promote road safety, sustainability and community. According to a global survey carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB), the phenomenon has gained momentum globally in recent years, with more than 470 Bike Bus routes worldwide, transporting 32,000 children to school every week.
A Bike Bus is a group of children who—accompanied by their family members—ride their bikes to school along a route with predetermined stops and schedules. The practice, which began in 1998 in Brecht, Belgium, became popular in 2021 when an initiative from Barcelona went viral on the internet. The report, prepared by researchers from the BCN City Lab group at ICTA-UAB, analyzes existing Bike Bus initiatives through interviews with promoters of 93 Bike Bus routes in eight countries, collecting their characteristics, diversity, motivations, impacts and sustainability over time.
The results show that 94% of participants see Bike Bus as a form of activism, highlighting its role in promoting systemic changes in transport and demanding a more bike-friendly city for children. Safety is the main concern, with 92% of respondents feeling unsafe to cycle to school without the protection of the group. The lack of adequate infrastructure and heavy traffic in their cities are some of the reasons.
