Brimbank council is calling on the state government to fully subsidise bicycle education classes for schools at the Brimbank Bicycle Education Centre (BEC).
At a council meeting on June 20, councillor Virginia Tachos moved the motion to request state funding to give pre-schools and primary schools better access to learn to ride a bicycle safely.
Cr Tachos said schools are bearing the cost of using a bus to travel to the BEC.
“What I’m asking is that the trip for the child is fully subsidised and that every child has the opportunity in Brimbank to learn how to ride a bike,” she said.
Cr Tachos said that as the rising cost of living continues to bite, parents and families are struggling to send their children to programs such as swimming and bicycle lessons and often children’s only access to these programs are through schools.
“I have attended classes where kids have come from very disadvantaged backgrounds, where riding a bike is not something that they’ve ever done or ever seen…those kids walk away [from BEC] with a sense of confidence, independence and freedom from a few hours spent in this Bicycle Education Centre,” Cr Tachos said.
Bicycle Education Centre committee president Michael Donnelly said helping kids learn about bicycle education and road safety is increasingly important.
“If we’re going to have kids on the road as both pedestrians and cyclists … they need to have an understanding of road laws, it’s a critical element,” he said.
“We have to try and enable more people to walk or cycle, it’s a great form of physical recreation that’s great for mental health and has positive environmental outcomes as well.”
Hannah Hammoud
