This morning we had a huge crowd at our weekly bike bus to school. I have been involved since it started 2-3 years ago. We meet at at an agreed starting point and then cycle in a group down to the school. The kids love it – originally it was only for children from 3rd class or above, but now many smaller children come, but with their parents.

In a generation the area that children have roamed while growing up has shrunk enormously, as children aren’t cycling to friends houses, because parents are afraid for their safety on the roads. This is a pity, as cycling has huge advantages in making children resilient and self sufficient, building self-confidence and getting them out into the fresh air (and away from screens!).

In our case the bike bus was started by teachers from the school, but in many other schools it has been parents who took the initiative. All you need is plenty of competent adults, with one person up front, on at the rear of the group and then some people marshalling and making sure that everyone can all get safely through junctions.

We cross a few junctions which can be problematic due to drivers blocking the cycle lane, breaking the red light, or trying to turn left when they don’t have the right of way. An adult cyclist basically puts themself in an obvious position that holds traffic back, and usually this works.

We also work on the concept that if it were a bus, and the bus driver went through the lights on green that the children in the back of the bus would still go through even if it has turned orange or red, and so we bring the tail of the group through – as keeping the group in one piece provides safety in numbers.

I live in an estate with only one entrance, and respectful behaviours by neighbours who drive, so my children were able to learn to cycle by going around and around the lanes and square. However, others have brought their children to a park or along the canal or Liffey towpath to get going. There have been a few occasions when motorists have become angry when they have been delayed by a few seconds, but most people are able to control their emotions when they see that it is children cycling.

My children used to be the ones that looked wistfully at the children whose parents put them in a cargo bike to bring them to school, so lost no opportunity in learning themselves when they got the chance, living in Dublin 8 and being only 15 minutes walk from their primary school, there really was no excuse to drive them. Now they have no problem cycling 25 minutes (and crossing the Liffey!) to go to secondary school.

Cycling gives them freedom and independence and means that they can start getting themselves to and from school and other activities without a parent in a car. At first, I cycled with my daughters to (secondary) school, but now they can do it themselves. We do keep an eye, using the “find my” app on their iPhones from time to time if we are in any way worried, but they have had no mishaps so far.

The bike bus has been great at building up confidence and competence, as the kids cycle independently of their parents who are busy looking after the group as a whole.

To organise your own bike bus, I would contact your children school to see if there are like minded parents or teachers. You should also contact the parents committee of the school, as this is a great way for people to work together. You won’t have to make any effort convincing the children.

To find out more about Bike Buses, the people who organised the Galway Cycle Bus have put together this helpful guide: https://galwaycyclebus.weebly.com/downloads.html (with thanks to Aodhán from the Crumlin bike bus who pointed my in the direction of this)

(Cover photo from https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2021/04/06/get-your-friends-into-cycling-get-them-excited/)