Edu Move: Boosting bike use in suburban Tirana (Albania)
Edu Move is a project led by Active Mobility, in response to ACCTING’s call for pilots Green to school: sustainable commutes. This call aimed to increase the uptake of sustainable mobility options in peripheral school context.
Active Mobility is a non-governmental organisation in Tirana, Albania, aiming to make green mobility more accessible and affordable to vulnerable groups in Albania, while raising awareness about the benefits of cycling.
Objectives
The project aimed to increase green mobility among youngsters from low-income families in suburb Tirana with a history of internal migration through cycling. It was hoped this would lead to improved air quality, safer bike routes, stronger social interaction and willingness to involve in cycling activity as a sport, and an increased feeling of belonging in society.
Activities focused on the municipality of Kamëz located in Tirana County, Albania.
Activities
Major activities included:
- Research and fieldwork: Conducted a questionnaire survey at the 5 secondary schools of Kamëz to understand youth’s mobility practices, perceptions and attitudes towards cycling.
- Planning & implementation of bike training workshops: Participants for the training workshops were selected purposely based on vulnerability criteria based on the survey results and in collaboration with the school social workers. Per school, three workshops with ~12 participants were conducted teaching basic biking skills, safety and bike maintenance.
- Bike donation programme: In total, 61 second-hand bikes were donated to training participants.
- Bike Bus Implementation: The project implemented two collective cycling initiatives called ‘Bike Bus’, in which participating students could practice biking in real-life conditions.
- Bike Rack Placement: 20 bike racks per school were placed with the start of the new year in collaboration with the Municipality.
- Awareness Campaign: Street banners for road safety were printed and positioned in strategic locations near schools and major intersections to maximise visibility. In addition, around 1,000 flyers were distributed to raise awareness about safe cycling practices.
- Educational Videos: To ensure sustainability, educational cycling videos were produced and submitted to school libraries. The approval process with the Ministry of Education is ongoing, and the videos are available on YouTube for broader accessibility.
- Permanent Bike Corridor Construction: Initially planned as a temporary pop-up lane, the project transitioned to constructing a permanent bike corridor connecting three schools, in collaboration with the municipality directly.
- The installation of cycling infrastructure:
– a permanent bike lane
– 20 bike racks at schools
– permanent banner advocating for road safety
- Training videos available on YouTube
EduMove‘s successful combination of practical training, awareness campaigns, and improved infrastructure has set a solid foundation for promoting sustainable school travel in Kamëz.
The project demonstrated how multi-pronged, community-based approaches can create lasting change in student mobility habits.