A Bike Bus is a group of children who cycle together to school, or other destination, with the assistance/ protection of adults.
There are increasing numbers of bike buses in Edinburgh, in Scotland, and around the world. An international study, A Global Survey of BikeBus Initiatives* published in January 2024 said…
“There is a wide range of diversity among Bike Buses. Some have more than 200 participants, while others only consist of a couple of families. Some have more adults than children, while others are only made up of teenagers. Whether they cycle on dedicated bike lanes or on the road, and whether they do it daily or monthly, there is one feature that defines them all: a Bike Bus is a group of children that cycle together.”
Bike Bus resources
- A Global Survey of BikeBus Initiatives*
- www.daddle.co website of and for Edinburgh Bike Buses, maintained by Jarlath Flynn
- Guide to setting up and running a bike bus by Cycling Scotland, prepared with the assistance of Sciennes Primary School and Blackford Safe Routes
- Organising a Bike Bus based on local Edinburgh experience, by Blackford Safe Routes
- Edinburgh Council – The 24.11.22 Full Council meeting approved a motion by Cllr Jule Bandel seeking support for school bike buses. A follow-up report at the 16.11.23 Transport Cttee is here [p5-7]. “Support is now available for schools to set up bike and walking bus schemes by contacting transport.roadsafety@edinburgh.gov.uk.”
- Shawlands (Glasgow) Bike Bus – one of Scotland’s first. Website
- March 2024: Blackford Safe Routes/ Wee Unicorns bikebus 5-year anniversary!
Bike Buses (existing or former) in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Due to the ever-changing picture it is difficult to maintain a fully up to date current listing, so for Edinburgh we suggest going to www.daddle.co/bike-buses, which also includes contact details for each bike bus.
We don’t know any bike buses in the Lothians, but would be pleased to list them here.
*Simón-i-Mas, G., Martín, S., Honey-Rosés, J. (2024). A Global Survey of Bike Bus Initiatives. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). City Lab Barcelona. URL: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/283387