Youth & Commute – A structured approach for increasing the mobility of marginalized youth is a project co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and is addressing green transport and mobility, road safety literacy, mobility and inclusion.
While Europe is still struggling with COVID 19 crisis and a growing climate crisis, having the European Green Deal, the European Climate Pact and the EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy in mind, the policy context has never been more favorable for cycling in Europe than now.
The Commission plans to invest at least 20 billion Euros in sustainable transport, including cycle paths. It intends to realise investment projects to improve cycling infrastructure in Europe. In general, there is a great need for projects that support the acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences for safe behaviour in road traffic.
Bicycle use varies greatly depending on the region – in the Balkans and especially in middle eastern countries bicycles enjoy very little popularity. Young people originating from those countries show very low traffic literacy, and some have never used a bike in their lives. Several European studies are showing, that when it comes to choosing bicycle as means of transport, people with migration background are less likely to use it. This gap is even bigger when it comes to women with migration background. According to an Austrian study (Migrationshintergrund und Alltagsmobilität. Mobilitätsverhalten und Verkehrsmittelwahl der österreichischen Bevölkerung. Heinz Fassmann und Ursula Reeger.) 70% of women with migration background do not cycle at all.
With this project we are addressing green transport and mobility, road safety literacy and the mobility and inclusion of young refugees, migrants and other groups living at the margins of the society. Lack of accessibility to transportation services and systems leads to social exclusion and the bicycle provides target groups with low-cost mobility, which is a prerequisite for social inclusion. With the right knowledge and practical skills, cycling becomes a very affordable way of getting around cities, sometimes even faster than local transport. In some cases, it can even be an additional source of income. The number of jobs directly related to cycling is currently estimated at 650,000 in the EU, with the potential for another million. This creates opportunities for many young people to find a dynamic and active job or even start their own business in this field. Therefore, the YOUTH & COMMUTE project consortium is also looking at the entrepreneurial aspects of this sector.
