The Municipality of Oeiras and Parques Tejo celebrate the expansion of the Bike Bus and Pedi Bus with a symbolic event at Porto Salvo Elementary School on January 14. This moment marks not only the launch of the new bicycle train at Porto Salvo Elementary School, but also the consolidation of the project in Oeiras, with the addition of four more schools, according to a press release.
According to the same source, with the launch of these new routes, there are now 9 schools in the Municipality of Oeiras that have a safe, healthy, and environmentally sustainable solution for children to get to school.
On specific days and predefined routes, planned taking into account the addresses of the participating students, children board the ‘train’ at a station near home and proceed together by bike or on foot to the school.
The routes are designed considering distance and low difficulty so that children can have fun. Accompanying the ‘trains’ are adults with specific training, at a ratio of 1 ‘train driver’ for every 4 students, to ensure safety and compliance with traffic rules.
The opening of the Porto Salvo line marks a growth phase that includes four new school communities: Porto Salvo Elementary School, São Bruno Elementary School, Samuel Johnson Elementary School and Pedro Álvares Cabral Elementary School. These join the schools that were already part of the pilot project in the 2024/25 school year, namely Manuel Beça Múrias Elementary School, Conde Ferreira Elementary School, Gomes Freire de Andrade Elementary School, Sá de Miranda Elementary School, and António Rebelo de Andrade Elementary School, totaling 9 schools covered by this soft mobility initiative.
How the Oeiras Move Schools Bike Bus Was Born
The Bike Bus of the Oeiras Move Schools program was born out of the need to respond to a clear problem. According to the study Oeiras School Mobility Strategy (2024), conducted by the consultancy TIS, on behalf of Parques Tejo, more than 60% of the municipality’s students arrive at school by private car. This transport habit has known impacts on the environment, but also on the physical and mental health of children, their autonomy and development.
With the objective of transforming the paradigm of school mobility in the municipality, the bike and foot trains had their first journey on 26 May 2025 at Conde de Ferreira Elementary School. Since then, the project has registered significant growth: what began as a pilot project in five schools has expanded.
In December 2025, 23 circulation lines were active, 11 Bike Bus lines and 12 Pedi Bus lines. More than 100 children are enrolled in the project, which removes more than a hundred cars from the roads leading to the schools of Oeiras. The objective of the project is to progressively extend the Bike Bus and the Pedi Bus to all Oeiras school clusters.
The program has had a ‘transformative’ effect on the municipality, removing motor vehicles from the vicinity of schools, promoting healthy lifestyle habits and the consideration of sustainable transport alternatives. With more than two dozen active lines, the Oeiras Move Schools project stands as one of the most ambitious responses to sustainable school transport at the national level.
Resilience and Safety on Two Wheels
To mark the maturity of the project, the President of the Oeiras City Council, Isaltino Morais, will personally hand out gifts to the participating children. This initiative aims to equip young cyclists and pedestrians with the necessary equipment to maintain their sustainable mobility routines throughout the school year, ensuring comfort, safety, and visibility.
