Trial implementation of bicycle commuting for junior high school students at Seiwataichō and Higashiya Junior High schools / Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture
*Kawanishi City*
Press release: September 6, 2024
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Trial implementation of bicycle commuting for junior high school students at Seiwataichō and Higashiya Junior High schools / Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture
*Toward reducing the burden on students associated with commuting* Trial implementation of bicycle commuting for junior high school students (Scene at Seiwadai Junior High School)
* In Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, in order to reduce the burden on junior high school students commuting to school, they are trialling the use of bicycles to commute to school in some areas. *
This initiative was originally created in 2025 when the mayor, superintendent of education, and board of education held a meeting to exchange opinions with students at junior high schools in the city when creating a new educational outline. It all started when someone said, “I want this.”
As a result of consideration by Kawanishi City and the Kawanishi City Board of Education, it has been decided that trial implementation of bicycle commuting to school will be carried out in some areas from the second semester of 2020.
Target: Students attending Seiwadai Junior High School from Keyakizaka Elementary School (from September 2nd)
Students attending Higashitani Junior High School from Hokuryo Elementary School (from August 29th)
According to the City Board of Education, there were 158 students at Seiwadai Junior High School and 64 at Higashitani Junior High School who wanted to commute to school by bicycle.
(As of August 21st)
Trial implementation of bicycle commuting for junior high school students (Scene at Seiwadai Junior High School)
To carry out the campaign, the two junior high schools involved provided guidance to students on how to abide by traffic rules and commute safely, and distributed permission stickers to put on the bicycles they use to commute to school.
Regarding traffic rules, each junior high school has created “bicycle safety rules.”
In addition, we are using the “Bicycle Rules Handbook” published by the Hyogo Prefectural Police.
We are also taking measures to ensure safe commuting to school by notifying parents that they must purchase bicycle insurance, register their bicycles for crime prevention, and wear helmets.
In addition, we will be providing a flat rate of 4,000 yen for the purchase of safety equipment such as helmets to students from households with financial aid who commute to school by bicycle at Seiwadai Junior High School and Higashitani Junior High School. Traffic rule guidance to students (Scene at Higashitani Junior High School)
In addition, on City Road 1314 (Keyakizaka 1-chome) and City Road 1526 (Maruyamadai 1-chome), which are also used as commuting routes, we will install arrow-shaped road markings and repair roads as part of bicycle traffic space improvement work. I’m doing it.
Bicycle traffic space maintenance work in progress
In order to prevent bicycle accidents, we are conducting street awareness campaigns on the roads commuting to each junior high school.
On the first day of trial commuting to both schools, teachers, local school cooperation workers, staff from the Kawanishi City Board of Education’s Transportation Policy Division, members of the Kawanishi Police Department, and others encouraged students to follow traffic rules while commuting to school.
Street awareness campaign aimed at preventing bicycle accidents