Walking bus

The Pedibus, also Running school bus, (French Pédibus, English walking bus ), is not a real bus, but a school bus on feet. The children go so walk to kindergarten or to school and back. They are accompanied by an adult ( Fireside ). This follows an agreed route and collects the children at certain times at defined locations ( stops) from.

The purpose of Pedibus is the one that parents, students no longer individually - bring all the way to and from school, but only to the next collection point, the stop of the Pedibus, and secondly, that - for example, by car students move more in everyday life.

Pedibusse there are more and more countries in the world. Buses are known in Australia, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland.

Term

Unlike the first impression of the word and the designations walking bus, school bus or school bus Running suggest on feet, the term Pedibus derives not from the common mass transportation bus, shortened bus from. The word Pedibus (from the Latin pes = foot, pedes = pedestrian ) is rather a common already in classical Roman term for the non -riding or driving citizen or soldier, who as a dative plural of pes with walking, with the feet, as a pedestrian is to be translated. So Pedibus actually means: Getting around with your feet.

Nevertheless, the widespread pictorial illustration seems sensible and kind according, since it ensures that connects to the well-known school bus and on the other the children give a pictorial idea of ​​their new traffic way: The similarity is the children already optically clear and physically experienced when they find as summarized in a bus as pairs with hand version in any Gehkolonne, even more clearly when the entire marching column is connected by a safety rope.

Initial idea

The establishment of " Pedibussen " evolved out of the need of dedicated parents and educators to allow their children under restriction of motor traffic a safe walk to kindergarten and school. The increasing practice of transporting children in school buses or private cars had also proved to be counterproductive both for the safety of children and their physical and mental state to the start of school:

The density of traffic at peak times of the beginning and teaching Teaching leads to the so-called school rush hour, which is associated with a significantly increased risk of all children. In addition, boredom, resentment, sullenness, quarrels and abuses by the restriction of the child's urge to move and the confinement in the narrow vehicles. The teachers registered an increased aggressiveness and reduced receptivity in the so-called " student drivers " compared to the more balanced " pedestrians ".

The radiation emanating from Australia idea of ​​" walking bus " spread all over the UK very quickly throughout Europe. In Munich alone, more than thirty primary schools have joined the initiative in 2013.

Situation in Germany

In Germany (eg in Viersen ( primary school at the Two Torstraße )) is the idea Pedibus as a "walking bus" known. Here are the stops along the way to school. In Munich, the city administration promotes as part of its initiative " Gscheid mobile" the establishment of Pedibussen. In its mission, the environmental organization Green City eV helps schools and parents to organize a " bus with feet". The environmental organization provides the bus with feet on parents' evenings ago, performs a route planning by parents and is available for questions regarding school accompanied by their children. Leipzig leads to the school year 2013/14 the first time a bus with feet through. The Traffic Club Germany is striving to make the model popular in Germany.

Situation in Austria

In Austria there is the idea Pedibus in several states from 2009 realized. In Tyrol the project is carried out, for example by the Climate Alliance Tyrol.

Situation in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the Pedibus, funded held by the Traffic Club of Switzerland (VCS ), from France in 1998, first in the city of Lausanne feeder. After a continuous distribution in western Switzerland (as of autumn 2009 currently exist in this region alone 250 lines), the Pedibus now also found in German-speaking Switzerland increasing acceptance.

Critical Appraisal

The idea of ​​Pedibus is mainly used by conservation organizations, propagated by the Federal Environmental Agency and the Association for Transport and with focus on ecology, in different countries, because they would help the environment by reducing vehicle movements and.

It is also supported by the sporting associations and schools because it meets the natural movement of children, communication to and from school and a entstressten classes begin.

As part of the traffic safety traffic this means, however, seen only as a temporary curative measure, which can play only a limited importance as mündigem road users under the indispensable objective of the autonomy of the individual child:

The inclusion in a guided group of adults seduced that attention and perception in practice (similar to the school bus ) mainly to one another, are less focused on the actual traffic situation. A discussion of the appropriate traffic handling and traffic pedagogical learning process will take place only in its infancy. While Holding the children into pairs and the instrument of additional securing of the children column by a guide rope complicates the spontaneous breaking of individual children from the association. On the other hand, it creates a new nannying and captivation of children at traffic. The liberation from the confines of his parents' car and the rediscovery of the common walkway under the responsibility of adults is therefore seen as a first step towards becoming independent of the child in traffic handling. The children are the " passengers " in vehicles to " Mitgeher " in a children's column. This should not be a permanent fixture and can not replace a contemporary road safety education for mature road users. Therefore traffic educators favor rather early competence equipment of children to an independent traffic handling.

According to the ideas of traffic education the children should be offset at least in the first year in the position, and sure to make their way to school on their own responsibility as pedestrians themselves.