Dutch School Bus is a Bicycle Built for Ten

Some lucky Dutch schoolchildren can now put their seemingly endless energy to good use, by powering their own school bus. Dutch company De Café Racer produced an eco-friendly bicycle-bus that is steered by an adult and ­pedaled by up to 10 children.

The bright yellow bus is designed for riders aged 4 to 12, and its stability and high visibility provide a safe, early introduction to cycle commuting in a country where bicycling is a way of life and 95 percent of teenagers bike to school at least some of the time.

The bus has a base speed of 10 miles per hour, and a motor for backup if the students are too tired to pedal or need help with hills. Other features include a music player and a canvas cover for shelter on rainy days. There’s even a bench seat where two additional children can sit back and enjoy the ride.

Kate Malongowski wrote this article for The YES! Breakthrough 15, the Winter 2012 issue of YES! Magazine. Kate is an editorial intern at YES!

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YES! Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article by taking these easy steps. Malongowski, K. (2012, January 06). Dutch School Bus is a Bicycle Built for Ten. Retrieved May 22, 2012, from YES! Magazine Web site: http://cms.yesmagazine.org/issues/the-yes-breakthrough-15/dutch-school-bus-is-a-bicycle-built-for-ten. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License