Traffic congestion in the city causes serious problems for mobility and for the environment. Students at IES Comuneros de Castilla have recognized the need to find greener forms of transportation to improve mobility in their community of Burgos.
The ideas
Traffic jams, pollution, and a lack of respect for road rules are all factors that put our health in danger. Third-year high school students at IES Comuneros de Castilla feel that road safety behavior in their community needs to change in order to make mobility more sustainable and less polluting.
The students identified various problems common among drivers in their area. For example, a lack of civic awareness among drivers towards pedestrians and cyclists, a lack of respect for road rules like speed limits and seatbelt use, and a lack of responsibility regarding drink driving.
They concluded that all of our small actions have big effects on the environment and on us. For example, making the change from travelling by car to riding a bicycle improves both the environment and our health.
The initiatives
The students had their message clear: “Come to School Green and Clean” , and they formed a special group to help share it: Los Reporteros Callejeros Comuneros Ecologistas”). They used this slogan and group name throughout the entire initiative.
The students developed a campaign based on a video that they showed on the informational screen at school. Their intention was to make others reflect on how we get to school and into the centre of the city, and what changes we can make to have more environmental friendliness and solidarity. The video shows different ways to get around in the city, showing real options and alternatives to cars.
By analysing information they’d found on the web, the students held a debate about these topics and put the key points into a form they could also display on the screen at school. The students concluded that we can change bad habits and behaviors, making better use of city buses and bike lanes, not drinking and driving, and respecting road safety.
