We all know that when entering or leaving school, cars are crowded in the vicinity of schools, hindering the safety of passers-by, who often must literally dodge metal moles weighing several tons. It doesn't matter if we talk about a big city or a town, because the advantage of closeness is not perceived as such by car owners, who (there is not always justification) many times are not even in a hurry to get somewhere later .
When we were little, it was more common to walk to school, and even for children (from 8, 9, 10 years old) to travel alone. A safe city gives parents peace of mind and children autonomy, but how can we think today of letting them make the trip to school accompanied only by their friends? and why not? Trazeo is a mobile phone app, created by a group of developers They are getting co-financing through a dribbling crowdfundig campaign (they go through the second round and approach the optimal goal). This is a very new initiative that has been welcomed with gratitude by the municipalities associated with the Network of Walking Cities.
The signing of the collaboration agreement between Trazeo and the Network of Walking Cities aims to promote the creation of sustainable child mobility projects in the municipalities associated with the Network, as well as the connection of communities of people working for these objectives throughout Spain
Thus, trips to (and from) the school can be made in a safe, sustainable and sociable way. It also allows the organization and participation of parents, who can trace routes, which has many advantages, among which is a better family time management, since children who are going to join groups that go to school, will know more or At least at what time do their classmates pick them up.
The application will initially be available for Android, and in practice it will be used by the adult companion (or monitor) of the group, who will position the children and notify family members of the arrival of schoolchildren at their destination.
Involvement and support of the community will guarantee the functioning of Trazeo
On the other hand, the municipalities and families will receive the incidents or notifications that the monitor publishes and that the group finds along its walk, such as the absence of crosswalks, the poor state of the sidewalk, the position of street furniture that make the crossing of a street or the existence on the sidewalk of obstacles that make walking difficult more insecure. The companion of the pedibus (name given to the group that makes the journey on foot) will be the only one who has the phone with the application, it will not be necessary for the children to carry one.
Trazeo goes aimed at people who form the educational communities of schools as well as administrations, companies and organizations interested in promoting healthy lifestyles and sustainable cities. It is also designed for associations of local merchants and businesses, which fulfill a main function of 'vigilant' support of the space through which the routes would be developed, and who are benefited by the bonds that are generated between the members of the educational community with their nearby shops.
This is a very useful technological and social innovation for give visibility to sustainable child mobility projects as well as to create safe official routes, an essential initiative to create smart cities where people choose to walk in their daily journeys.
I celebrate this project, which will give us the opportunity to 'rethink' the road to school, as a practical experience of urban sustainability. Not to mention that for the little ones, going to school takes on social and educational dimensions of great importance (they learn to interact outside the classroom, put into practice knowledge of road safety, etc.)
