Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
In 2012 bikes outsold cars across Europe
for the first time since the end of the second world war.
However some countries make considerably more journeys by bike than others.
Could it be that these countries are simply full of athletes?
Or is there a fundamental difference in the way people think about cycling?
Join me, Tim Warin
speaking to young people in bike friendly cities on both sides of the channel
in "The Journey to School".
[Music]
Hi. My name's Tim and I work for Sustrans
where it's my job to encourage young people
to make healthy choices about their journeys to school.
To help me do this, I'm going to be travelling around Europe
looking at how they make that journey.
We start here, in Southend-on-Sea
where waves are being made in the movement to get people out on their bikes.
Let's head over to Southend High School for boys
to chat to the students there...
and get their point of view.
So, Toby - how did you get to school today?
I cycled in today.
Do you always cycle?
Most days, apart from extreme weather conditions like snow.
And why do choose to cycle?
I find it wakes me up in the morning.
You're comfortable cycling on the road?
Yes. I've been cycling on the road for a few years now
We've worked out different routes.
I've been cycling for four years and we know the easiest routes.
Who do you guys travel with?
I'm starting to cycle with my brother now
teaching him how to go on the roads and that kind of thing.
It's just not so nice when it's pouring down with rain or blowing a gail.
It's about as quick as the car and I don't have to wait for my parents.
If I have a lift I'll probably always be late
because I have a lot of brothers and sisters and they have to get to school as well.
It's just a lot easier.
There's been a few more cyclists than when I came here in year 7.
The bike sheds are getting fuller.
Towards the winter there are maybe three of four more spaces left
And you guys cycle all through the winter?
Yep.
Rain or shine? -Yes.
I'm really happy cycling. It's fun.
I don't want to be doing anything else
I'm going to be seeing how school journeys happen in France, Belgium and Holland
and we were wondering if you guys have got any questions
about what it's like cycling in those countries.
Do they follow professional cycling in Europe? Or is it just for leisure?
As these are the next generation of decision makers,
it's important to know how they feel about cycling.
The boys seem to really enjoy it,
getting out of breath and being awake and ready for school.
It's a great morning workout.
I wonder how different their attitudes will be just over the channel.
Just a short bike ride from Calais,
I met up with some friendly faces in Neufchatel-Hardelot
on their morning journey to school.
Neufchatel-Hardelot is a small coastal town,
very different in its appearance to Southend
but the desire to enable people to make smarter travel choices
is just as strong.
Where I live is quite far from Neufchatel
Today I came by car and afterwards
we go by foot to the school.
I also go by car.
Sometimes my mum drops me off here,
sometimes closer...
When the weather is good you can go there by bike.
Once I came by bike with my mum. I left my bike at her work and
then walked with my brother from there.
Some people walk because they live nearby.
Would you like to be able to cycle to school more often?
Yes, when the weather is good, yes.
When the weather is cold, no, not really.
When the weather is good, yes.
Despite their young age, it's clear that the girls really enjoy cycling.
Especially when the sun is shining.
And with all these lovely new cycle paths linking the the different areas together,
I can see why.
I'm here in Kortrijk, Belgium. I've only been here five minutes
but already I get the feeling that it's a very bike friendly place.
Compared to other cities, there are loads of people cycling around
but the facilities for cyclists seem remarkably similar to what I'm used to.
I'm off to Leielandscholen High School to see if the students there can tell me more.
I go always by bike, even if it's raining or snowing
and I travel on a path so there's no traffic; it's safe.
I feel relaxed because I've got time to think about a lot of things.
And are there normally loads of bikes in the bike shed each morning?
Yes... there are a lot of bikes. There are also a lot of bikes from the teachers.
How did you travel to school today?
Today I went with my bike to the station
and then I take public transport, with the train,
and then I walk 500 metres to school so it is a long trek.
I've always gone by bike. In the winter when it snows, I come by train.
So Emaline, how did you get to school today?
I went by bike, like usual
and I took this path where we're walking right now.
Do you normally use your bike to go and see people?
Yes. Most of the time I do because my parents work a lot
and they don't have time to bring me there by car so I use my bike.
Anything else you enjoy more about using your bike to get to school?
Yes because now I can listen to music when I am on my bike.
One of the reasons why you like riding your bike is that it's good for the environment.
Do you think that's why other people cycle?
I don't think so,
I think most of the people that come by bike actually think it's more useful.
When we were in Essex they had some questions
to ask the Europeans about their journeys to school
One of the questions they had was: How does your city provide for cyclists?
There are a lot of cycle paths,
they are all in a difference colour like red or yellow
and that's good to the one riding the bike
because the cars don't ride to close
and it's safer.
There are also paths where there are no cars allowed
They are only for the bikes and that's very safe.
Do any of you take part in cycling as a sport?
No. I do it for fun, I do mountain biking sometimes for fun but...
I don't do it for sports or competition.
Frederik De Feyter has helped encourage cycling in the city.
I asked him why he thinks journeys by bicycle seem so easy in Kortrijk.
So I've noticed, since being here, that there are a lot of people on bikes.
Can you explain to me why this might be?
There is this principle in Belgium that pedestrians should always have priority
then it should be the cyclists, then public transport
and last, it should be the private cars.
Since we arrived in Belgium, I've been amazed by how many cyclists I've seen.
Groups of young people, old people...
just cruising around, and they know they're going to be safe
so they don't have to plan their trips or really think about what they're wearing.
They just jump on their bikes.
Teenagers riding abreast, having a chat
and the car, that was behind them, sat patiently and
at no point tried to overtake.
You wouldn't get that kind of thing in the UK.
And people really share the streets here.
There's bikes, cars, pedestrians.
No one feels the need to barge anyone else out of the way. And that's really nice.
Well that's enough of my Belgian Waffle. Let's head to Holland and see what's happening there.
Wow! Look at all these bikes.
My final destination is here: Middelburg in Holland.
Looking around me, you might think nearly everyone rides to school here
and you'd be right.
I'm going to talk to some of the students at CSW Van de Perre School
and find out what it's all about.
How did you girls get to school this morning?
With the bike. We bike together almost every day
except if we are ill or something.
Sometimes we go with the car
but only if it's really really bad weather If it's snowing
Mostly you just always go with the bike.
How do most people travel to school?
Most people just cycle.
It doesn't matter how far away they live.
So how far away do you guys live?
We actually live really near by.
Some people live in little villages.
They need to bike like half an hour or longer.
How many students do you think cycle every day?
More than a thousand.
More than a thousand? Wow. And do you guys have to cycle far?
Yes, I have to cycle seven kilometres.
So what do you think might be the furthest someone would have to cycle?
Twenty? Yeh around twenty.
Wow!
How do you feel when you get to school after you've cycled?
Normal. It's just a daily thing.
Something I've noticed is the types of bikes people are using.
They all seem... incredibly practical.
Just look at this basket...
Wikered!
Roughly how many bikes a year do you sell in this shop?
Around two thousand bikes.
Around two thousand bikes a year? Wow.
And what kind of bikes are people buying? -Different kinds. City bikes.
most popular are the transport bikes.
Something like this? -Something like that.
A big sturdy frame with racks on the front and back
and mostly with a basket on the front.
Do you find that most people in Middelburg cycle?
Mostly, yeah.
In Middelburg your faster by bike than by car.
It seems that asking someone in Middleburg "Why do you ride a bike?"
is a bit like asking an Englishman "Why do you drink tea?"
It's not something they've ever had to think about; they just do.
In Britain, we have a lot of cyclists.
However in Middleburg there is something different going on.
In Middleburg there are people. And the people ride bikes.
This is a trend we're seeing in bike friendly cities all across Europe.
As people begin to view cycling, not as a sport but as a practical mode of transportation
more journeys are being made by bike year on year.
For most of us, the journey to school is our first taste of independent decisions making.
For me, it's refreshing to see so many people
beginning to make smarter, better informed travel choices
that will continue to have a positive impact on the rest of their lives.
It's really nice, the trains are obviously relaxed
so that if you come to school, and live miles away,
that's no barrier, you just put your train on a bike
and then you ride it up to the school gates
[laughter] - Really?!
Put your train on a bike?
[laughter]
I might say that again.