Primary school children are testing AllRide, a smart bicycle light that guides them along the safest way to school, starting from this week. The test project started on Monday in the Sint-Jozef Coloma school in Mechelen. About 60 pupils from all years were selected to test the smart bicycle light.
Attached to a bicycle, it maps the route and registers busy crossings, dangerous roundabouts and other obstacles. After two weeks, AllRide will propose a safer, alternative route.
The system includes computer game levels to motivate the children, and those who frequently give feedback can get promotion prospects and even win a prize.
The idea to participate in the project came from school director Inge Van Humbeeck. "We hope local authorities do something with the feedback we offer them," she said to NewMobility.
On Thursday, a similar project will start in the Sint-Franciscus Xaveriusinstituut in Bruges.
Real estate developer BAM, together with consultancy agency, AE, developed the AllRide app at Mechelen’s and Bruges’ request.
According to Jan Buyle, innovation manager of BAM Belgium, they were looking for a way to make bike-riding safer for school children. They underline the app respects all privacy regulations.
"In the future, we will connect those children to the infrastructure. When, for instance, a group of children approaches the red light, we could arrange it would switch to green," Buyle said to NewMobility.
"If the results of the schools in Mechelen and Bruges are positive, we can start rolling out similar projects in other schools," he added.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
