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More needs to be done to give push to cycling as travel option
View(s):By Yoshitha Perera
Due to rapidly increasing travel demands, urban cities in developing countries such as Sri Lanka face major challenges. People have no choice but to switch to cycling or walking due to the poor standards of public transportation and the current fuel crisis.
However, there have been numerous irregularities in cycling, and the government must address these issues before encouraging people to switch to cycling.
Cycling infrastructure is poor and the government is unable to take the necessary measures to develop the cycling industry, though cycling has been identified as a healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation with the current economic situation, Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardane said.
No option but to cycle to work. Pic by Akila Jayawardena
“We had ongoing discussions with the relevant associations about providing bicycles for transportation. These organisations said they will devise a strategy. The Urban Development Authority (UDA) has also decided to complete one cycle lane from Battaramulla to Colombo, but capital expenditure is required to complete the project. At the moment, the government does not have enough money to do so,” the Minister explained.
The Minister, fuel shortages had increased demand for bicycles during the economic downturn, while bicycle robberies had gone up and there was a high risk of increased road accidents due to poor infrastructure facilities. As a safety measure cyclists had to wear protective gear to make them more visible to others when traveling on the road.
“We discussed cycling on existing roads with the Police. According to the Police, there may be a tendency for increased road accidents as a result of the relevant authorities failing to consider cycling when constructing roads. The existing lanes are extremely narrow. The ministry informed the Police to identify roads with cycling facilities,” the minister said.
The Ministry made the decision to launch the park and ride system recently. As a result, people who travel by bicycle can park their bikes in a safe location near the respective railway station or bus stop, pay a fee, and take the bus or train to work. This system was being implemented at the Makumbura Multi-modal Transport Centre.
“People must pay a high price to purchase a bicycle. I discussed this with local bike manufacturers and asked if we could devise a system to obtain the bikes at a reduced cost. However, many local manufacturers produce bicycles for use as a sport, and it is currently difficult to obtain the necessary parts for bicycles that can travel on public roads,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, the Police reported they had taken action against those involved in bicycle robberies, after there were more complaints about bicycle robberies.
When cyclists travel at night, they often did not have the signal lighting systems they needed. The Police pointed out that there may be more accidents because of that. To avoid such situations, awareness programmes for cyclists should be carried out by independent groups or organisations, the Police said.
According to the Census and Statistics Department, there are more than seven million cyclists in the country but bicycles have been used for various purposes, not only as a transportation mode.
Most of the time, bicycles had been used for exercise by families in urban areas, but people in the North and North Eastern provinces prefer to use bicycles for daily transportation. Bicycles were also recognised as a multi-purpose vehicle that offer numerous benefits.
A strategic plan in collaboration with all working sectors was urgently needed to develop the cycling network, said Amal Suriyage–Ex-Vice President of the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka and President of the National Mountain Biking Association.
“The minister should be able to summon those in the country who are interested in cycling. I promote and organise cycling events. In ministerial meetings, he has only summoned theoreticians, not the practical people involved in the industry.” Mr. Suriyage said.
Initial discussions with the government about the implementation of cycle lanes began more than twenty years ago, but none of the plans produced by the ministries worked out, he claimed.
Community sharing bike systems were a popular mode of transportation all over the world because they were inexpensive, efficient, healthy and environmentally friendly.
This is always a new concept for people in Sri Lanka because previous governments only conducted research and spent money without putting it into action.
Even now, there is discussion about implementing such a programme, and the government has begun preliminary discussions with the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka.
The Cycle Federation of Sri Lanka had initial discussions with the Road Development Authority (RDA) and requested that whenever they were constructing a road to develop a bicycle lane as well, Sports Ministry Secretary and Cycle Federation President Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva said.
“We need to determine whether people actually prefer cycling to driving. Because of the country’s class structure, whether they actually want to switch to cycling. However, we are gradually escaping these embargoes. People are helpless, and they are switching to a viable mode of transportation to overcome the financial burden at this stage. This does not imply that people prefer cycling,” Mr. Suriyage said.
The prices of bicycles had also doubled and an artificial black market had also been created to sell bicycles, he added.
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