8 o’clock in the morning, it is under everyone’s eyes: on the streets, in the city or in the villages, on the hill or by the lake, the merry caravans of the Pedibus walk around Ticino (but not only)! Here they are again at a pleasant pace before lunch, at 13:30 with a full belly and when leaving school. In sunshine or rain, in snow, wind or in summer slippers. But what is the Pedibus? It is an initiative to accompany children on foot to school, under adult supervision. Friendly, healthy, economical and ecological, like a regular bus the Pedibus connects a neighbourhood or village to its school, making stops. A caravan of children, accompanied by adult volunteers, follows this line on foot. Once school is finished, the Pedibus takes the child back to the nearest stop.
Whether large or small, whether they walk every day or once a week, the Pedibus routes
help to make children independent, reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and traffic around schools, and increase safety for all road users. They also promote the health of children and accompanying adults. The lines are heterogeneous and autonomous, and the number of participants also varies according to the management system of each individual line (which can be organised by parents, town halls, school managements or associations): the strength of the project remains the flexibility of the ATA Pedibus, which can be adapted to the needs and requirements of those who participate! Each line adapts the rules and modalities of attendance autonomously, with the continuous support of the cantonal coordination. The accompanying persons can be parents, grandparents, pensioners or caregivers.
Created by the ATA – Associazione traffico e ambiente in 2015, the Coordinamento Pedibus Ticino aims to promote active and safe mobility for school-age children and their families. Networking with public and private partners and collaborating with the national Pedibus Coordination, it encourages intergenerational solidarity, social networking and volunteering. Moreover, it supports slow mobility initiatives and proposes awareness-raising and information activities in a framework of pleasant cooperation. In Switzerland, the ATA network of Pedibus co-ordinations consists of seven cantonal coordination bodies (Fribourg, Geneva, Jura, Solothurn, Ticino, Valais and Vaud) and a regional coordination body for German-speaking Switzerland.
The impact of the Coordination’s work is measured through the emergence of awareness-raising projects and the flourishing of pedibus-related events, see the Pedibus website for more details. These, as well as the collaboration with institutions, associations and personalities in the area, highlight the growing popularity of this project, which is increasingly a reference point for sustainable mobility and childhood.
Medacta for Life Foundation and My School Ticino support and promote Pedibus Ticino!
