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In a world increasingly aware of climate change and the importance of active transportation, the Bicibús movement has emerged as a powerful tool to promote road safety, sustainability and community. According to a global survey carried out by ICTA-UAB, this phenomenon has gained global traction in recent years, with more than 470 bike bus routes around the world transporting 32,000 children a week.
A bicibus is a group of children who ride a bicycle to school accompanied by family members following a route with pre-established stops and times. Initially emerging in 1998 in Bretht, Belgium, this practice 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 of ICTA-UAB, analyzes existing bikebus initiatives through interviews with the promoters of 93 bikebus routes in eight countries and collects the characteristics, diversity, motivations and sustainability throughout the time.
The results show that 94% of the participants consider the bicibus as a form of activism, and discard the role it has in promoting systematic changes in transportation and road safety that favor safer cities for children. Safety is the primary concern, since 92% of those surveyed feel unsafe when riding bicycles to school without protection from the group. The lack of adequate infrastructure and high traffic in cities are some of the reasons.
The survey shows that 67% of the participants are children of all genders, and the median age is eight years old. Although there are massive routes, the groups are made up of about 17 people (with 10 children and 7 adults on average). On average, the routes are organized once a week, with a route of between one and two kilometers along the road that is covered in twenty minutes. By gender, 47% are girls. The insecurity expressed by those surveyed regarding regular school routes would explain the reason why 37% of the bicibus participants are parents who accompany their children. They consider that, if they exist, bike lanes are very narrow, require a certain skill to circulate, and intersections are dangerous because vehicles do not respect bicycles. More than half consider that bike parking facilities are an obstacle that makes participation in this initiative difficult.
“Initially conceived to protect children from traffic, they have evolved into a celebration of the bicycle and a demand for more child-friendly cities. They have shown that they are an effective way to promote the visibility of cyclists on the streets and foster a sense of community,” explains Jordi Honey-Rosés, ICTA-UAB researcher and head of the study.
