Girls cycling to school number triples following Sustrans Scotland project

A decade-long project run by Sustrans Scotland has proved a significant success, growing the number of girls cycling to school three-fold, in participating schools.

7.9% of girls at schools supported through Sustrans’ I Bike programme reported cycling to school in 2018, compared to 2.8% in 2008.

Girls are less likely to meet the recommended physical activity levels than boys, according to the Scottish Government’s Scottish Health Survey.

The Scottish Government funded the I Bike project, which carried out 6,200 activities aimed at girls in the past three years alone. Across the genders, I Bike Schools saw greater numbers of pupils travelling to school by bike (7.1% compared to the national average of 3.7%).

Since 2009, I Bike has worked in a total of 375 schools across Scotland, engaging with more than 75,000 pupils.