Parents of pupils in Scoil Fhursa and Scoil Iognáid have come together to form a new cyclebus to help children to cycle to school safely. The cyclebus runs between Áras Bóthar na Trá on Dr Mannix Road and the two schools on Friday mornings. Eventually, the organisers hope to expand the service to every schoolday eventually.
Parents were concerned that the lack of segregated cycleways made it unsafe for children cycling to school. They decided that, until such infrastructure is in place, a cyclebus could provide protection for children and families who wish to cycle. The cyclebus operates like a moving cycle lane, with the children protected by a row of adults cycling on the outside.
It is a model that has been used successfully by Galway Cyclebus in Knocknacarra for four years and has been followed by more than 20 cyclebuses which have sprung up all over Ireland in recent years.
Cyclebus Safety Co-Ordinator Eoin Ryan said it is a brilliant opportunity for children to get active, gain road safety skills and have fun with their friends. Putting kids on bikes also helps to take school traffic off the roads, which is good for other road users and for the environment.”
The cyclebus has already generated a lot of interest, with almost 50 people joining it last Friday and numbers growing every week. If you would like your child to participate, please register via the Google Form at https://forms.gle/uB7jF1Ad7aEm5mrYA.
Children in Rang a Dó and below will need to be accompanied on the cyclebus by their parent/guardian. If you would be interested in volunteering to assist with marshalling, or to learn more, please contact [email protected] or follow Salthill Cyclebus on instagram https://instagram.com/salthillcyclebus or twitter https://twitter.com/Salthillbikebus.
