Use bicycles to work, FG tells Nigerians how to cope with fuel hike

The Federal Ministry of Transportation has disclosed that it is considering the use of bicycles as an alternative means of commuting as it promotes a cleaner environment and a healthy lifestyle.

The Director, Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, Musa Ibrahim, stated this at the one-day stakeholders sensitisation meeting held in Abuja recently.

According to Ibrahim, the idea is to enhance and heighten the importance of cycling in Nigeria, as it will obviously lead to a drop in road crash incidences.

He noted that the stakeholder’s sensitisation meeting is in consonance with World Bicycle Day, which is marked annually on June 3 through a United Nations General Assembly resolution.

In a statement on Thursday by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike, Ibrahim said World Bicycle Day recognises “the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle as a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport, fostering environmental stewardship and health,” hence the United Nations 2023 World Bicycle Day theme: ‘Riding Together for a Sustainable Future.

Speaking further, the director noted that proponents have equally encouraged the use of bicycles as a means of eradicating poverty, furthering sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and young people, promoting health, preventing disease, and facilitating social inclusion.

The Chief Executive Officer, Ochenuell Mobility, Emmanuel John, argued that the cycling initiative extends beyond efforts to address climate change by cutting down on carbon footprints.

In addition, John brought to the fore that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Countries, in a study amongst others, outlined that most African countries throw away three per cent of their Gross Domestic Product to traffic congestion annually.

In the statement, he “proposed that developing a Non-motorised transportation travel culture in the country through the adoption of Green Corridors is a panacea to some of the identified drawbacks.”

He pointed out that most of the challenges encountered with increased usage of motorised transportation will be reduced to a large extent if the Federal Government supports and adopts the National Stakeholders Forum on Bicycle Transportation.

Stakeholders at the sensitization meeting, amongst others, included representatives from the Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology; Zaria, The Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Greenlight Initiative and Federal Capital Territory Administration.