'Bike bus gives the school run back to kids'

Rob and Kate Collier founded Bike Bus Worcester three years ago

A scheme encouraging children to cycle to school is empowering pupils and preparing them to learn, organisers have said.

Worcester's first bike bus began three years ago, with four children travelling together to north Worcester Primary Academy. Now, there are 16 routes across the city, serving 12 schools.

The guided ride, led by parent and teacher volunteers, stops at homes where children join the convoy on their own bikes, eventually dropping them off at the school gates.

"It's really empowering children and giving them the school run back," said Kate Collier, who started Bike Bus Worcester with her husband, Rob.

"Too many children have to be wrestled into the car and driven to school, but if we can give people an alternative so that children can... have that healthy active start to the day, when they get into school they're ready to learn.

"I never want to see the end of bike bus... the dream is that our children should be able to travel to school independently and safely without being so worried about the danger of cars."

• Listen on BBC Sounds: Olympian backs Worcester's Bike Bus

There are now 16 bike bus routes across Worcester

Mrs Collier said she wanted to see dedicated cycle infrastructure in towns and cities, and more involvement from politicians for cycle initiatives.

"The thing that is magical about bike bus is just the joy and brilliance of coming together," she said.

"We often have music on, one of our volunteers has a dog, we have stickers."

Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman joined one of the city's bike buses

Former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman joined one of the city's bike buses on Friday.

He said: "Anybody who interacts with the bike bus, when they see a load of kids on bikes together, it changes the dynamic... they go: 'There's a load of kids, I'm going to give them space', and a lot of people really enjoy it.

"Cycling for me, first of all it was playing in the street and then it was a way to extend territory, and then it was a way to meet girls, and then it was my hobby and then it was my sport - so it's been embedded in my life.

"I think the best thing that a bike can do is give more transport choice to people."