It was around 9:00am when, already close to Escola Básica da Ermida, in São Mamede de Infesta, municipality of Matosinhos, in the district of Porto, the arrival of a train was sighted, not a train on rails and powered by electricity, but a train of 27 children on bicycles accompanied by train drivers, also on bicycles, whose function is not to check if the passengers have a ticket, because it is free, but to ensure they arrive at school safely.

The bicycle train, a project that is being implemented in Matosinhos, has, similar to traditional trains, a departure and arrival time, as well as some delays and stops.

To catch it, it is not necessary to have any ticket, but to be a child, attend schools in the municipality, have a bicycle and a helmet and, on Wednesdays, be at the indicated stop so as not to miss the train and, thus, arrive when the bell rings.

The students arrived on time, safely, amused, very happy and under the curious and attentive gaze of their colleagues who, already inside the school and leaning against the railings, threw a "yeah" or a simple hello.

"Riding a bicycle is very cool, I like it a lot", confessed to Lusa Leonardo Cavalcante, 6 years old, who, together with his brother, caught the train around 8:05am in which he travelled about four kilometres until reaching the destination where his grandmother was with his backpack, because bringing it with him "was heavy".

The mother, Laura Cavalcante, who thinks this train is an excellent initiative, stated that riding a bicycle is something that everyone should do, because it is an excellent means of transport, a good alternative to the car and great for the environment.

With three children, two of whom already use this train, Laura Cavalcante, who has been riding a bicycle since her college days, wants her children to understand that the bicycle is a means of transport and has many advantages.

And Alice Ribeiro, 9 years old, said so: "cars cause pollution", so, whenever she can, she will catch the bicycle train.

And she added: "It's very cool and not very dangerous, we just have to be careful when riding".

And, speaking of care, her colleague, João Teixeira, also 9 years old, listed them all: wear a helmet, stop at traffic lights, do not pass in front of the train driver and give space to those in front.

And, if they fulfil these requirements, they arrive safely and help the environment, he commented.

"The school gates are, probably during rush hour, the most polluted places in cities, due to the high concentration of cars", stated João Araújo, promoter of this project in Matosinhos and father of one of the students who uses the train.

In addition to being good for the environment, this initiative is beneficial for children, because it gives them autonomy, self-esteem, responsibility and fun, he stressed, reinforcing that "it is safe to cycle to school".

The journey takes about 25 to 30 minutes, has about 10 stops, the children have insurance and the train drivers are parents or passionate about bicycles, so, everything is set to go well, stressed João Araújo.

This bicycle train is still in a pilot phase, with the municipality's objective being to extend it to all schools in the municipality, said the vice-president and person responsible for the mobility portfolio, Carlos Mouta.

"We are talking about very young children, from the first cycle, and the idea is that they then transport this to secondary school and maintain this habit of using the bicycle as a means of transport", he concluded.

Leia Também: Matosinhos lança programa para promover habitação a preços acessíveis (Portuguese version)