Allidina Visram High School students park their bicycles outside the classrooms on July 10, 2019. The students cycle to and from school in an effort to keep fit, save money and time lost in traffic jams.
In Summary
- About 25% of students at Allidina Visram High School cycle daily to school.
- Even though they enjoy cycling from their distant homes to school, road unsafety remains a major concern due to lack of cycling lanes.
- 3 out of 4 students interviewed have been victims of reckless road users, mostly matatu and bodaboda operators.
Cycling is a potentially dangerous means of transport especially in the absence of cycling lanes.
But as the day dawns in Mombasa, one cannot miss a group of students cycling with the mission of getting to school in time.
Though perceived to be an unsafe way of traveling, most students here prefer the eco-friendly means of transport to boarding a matatu.
“Many students walk since they come nearby areas. Others travel by matatu but those who come from far – Likoni, Shanzu, Bamburi and Mtwapa in particular – come by bicycle,” says Mr Juma Mshimu, the principal of Allidina Visram High School.
RECKLESSNESS
Close to a quarter of students who attend Allidina school cycle even though their safety remains unguaranteed as no specific lanes have been set aside for cyclists.
