We did it!

We have taken a major step forward in winning Ride2School funding for another year in Tasmania – with the help of you and your messages of support.

Yesterday afternoon the Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure, Rene Hidding, confirmed that he has asked the Road Safety Advisory Council to consider extending our funding.

“I have written to the chair of the RSAC (Road Safety Advisory Council) asking him to seek council members’ agreement to a one-year extension of funding through the Road Safety Levy funds to allow government to do further analysis of the program,” Mr Hidding said. “This will enable further evaluation of the pilot program funded by the Road Safety Levy.”

The Department of State Growth has had our program evaluation report for some months but we have yet to receive feedback. The Minister’s decision is about proper process being followed so that evaluation can be completed.

For the last six months we have been meeting with advisers, talking about Ride2School in the media and sending messages to the Premier’s office to try to secure enough funding to ensure the award-winning Ride2School program can keep going in Tasmania.

The pressure Bicycle Network supporters put on the government has played a major role in our campaign the Minister’s office told us!

Thank you for everything you have done to keep this great program going. We can’t wait to get out to schools in the New Year and get more kids out on bikes and enjoying healthy lives.

Here's how it was reported in the Examiner.