It is with the new generations, starting with today’s children, that the battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in time to achieve the desired carbon neutrality by 2050 is being won.

The vice-president Nuno Piteira Lopes said in an interview:

“That is the spirit of ‘O Mobi vai à escola’, the campaign to raise awareness about the use of public transport in the municipality of Cascais, which has already involved more than 1,300 children attending preschool and primary school.”

The mayor acknowledges that without attracting younger people to more active and sustainable mobility, it will be difficult to achieve the climate goals. He emphasized that

“The goal is to raise awareness in the entire school community and make citizens more aware of the benefits of adopting more active and sustainable mobility and the role they can play in building more inclusive and ecological cities, especially when the bus is free.”

Current Public Transport Usage Among Children

Data collected by the Cascais municipality reveal that just 8% of children use public transport to get to school, despite the availability of free bus services. As a result, most trips between home and school are made by car.

This heavy reliance on private vehicles contributes to pollution and traffic congestion in urban areas, particularly during peak arrival and departure times.

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The local authority aims to increase the number of children using the MobiCascais bus system by 50%. To reach this goal, they plan to invest in communication strategies to address the concerns many parents have about allowing their children to ride the bus independently.

Nuno Piteira Lopes said:

“There is no reason for parents to be afraid. The truth is that today we have safe buses, with video surveillance systems, Wi-Fi and even the possibility for parents to download an app that allows them to monitor whether their child has caught the bus or not and at what time.”

Launch of MobiCascais

The initiative targeting younger residents began with the launch of MobiCascais, a groundbreaking system in Portugal that introduced free municipal buses for all residents, workers, and students in the municipality in 2020.

Although the program was initially suspended due to the pandemic, it has been revived in recent years with specific outreach efforts in local schools.

Since MobiCascais was launched, the percentage of students using it (including those in higher education up to university) has increased from 8% to 17%, more than doubling, revealed the vice-president.

However, he admits this progress is still insufficient. Approximately 60,000 residents are currently registered on the application.

Cleaner Transport

Switching from a car to a bus also means choosing a cleaner mode of transportation. Nuno Piteira Lopes noted:

“By the end of this year, the Cascais bus fleet will be strengthened with 18 new electric vehicles.”

Currently, two hydrogen-powered buses are already operating in the municipality as part of a pilot hydrogen production project.

Lopes estimates that by year’s end, the hydrogen facility will enable a portion of the municipal fleet to run on hydrogen, with urban solid waste collection vehicles also being included in this shift to more sustainable energy sources.

Awareness Activities For Students

By September, a total of 1,340 students aged 5 to 11 from 38 schools across three of the four parishes in the municipality participated in awareness activities.

Additionally, 115 adults, including both teaching and non-teaching staff, took part. After an informative visit from the MobiCascais team, students were invited to board a hydrogen-powered bus alongside their teachers.

This bus line takes them to the Adroana Municipal Complex, where they can see the buses and support infrastructure firsthand. Once there, students engage in a civic training exercise and explore the workshops, where special surprises await.

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