Lao province bans schoolkid bikers
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A province in Laos will ban all secondary students from riding motorbikes to school after a trial run at 40 schools saw a decrease in road accidents.
About 40 of more than 90 secondary schools in Khammuan province have already banned motorbikes, and the remaining schools are set to join the scheme in the near future.
The ban is part of the department’s education development plan and aims to encourage students to attend class more regularly, while also boosting safety.
Department Director Sihay Keokaithinh told Vientiane Times that encouraging students to ride bicycles to school instead of motorbikes would help to reduce families’ expenses and road accidents, and would be better for the environment.
“Riding bicycles to school gives students exercise and helps to keep them fit and healthy,” he said.
“They can use motorbikes for personal matters or to help out with their family’s work after school.”
“We anticipate approval of this idea by the provincial Education and Sports Department, school directors and student-parent associations.”
Sihay said the scheme to encourage students to ride bicycles to school began last academic year at Thakhek Secondary School in the provincial capital, which has a large number of students.
“The regulation was introduced after the outcome of a meeting held to review and evaluate the idea was approved by the school’s council,” he said.
“We initiated the ban because we learnt from the example of other schools in Luang Prabang, Saravan and Xayaboury provinces.”
The project also aims to help students avoid peer pressure to race motorbikes and engage in speeding or other high-risk behaviour.
A recent survey found road accidents often involve students who break traffic rules while riding to school.
Sihay said students' knowledge of traffic regulations was limited and they lacked driving experience.
He said the department had worked with the provincial Traffic Department to provide students with information on traffic rules.
Most secondary students are under 18 and are already breaking the law just by riding a motorbike – the legal age to obtain a driving licence in Laos is 18.
Many schools across the country have already banned students from riding motorbikes.
Xayaboury was the first province to launch such a programme in the 2005-’06 academic year.
Luang Prabang followed suit and now many secondary schools in urban areas and Saravan province are doing the same.
