Cycling is certainly good for health, there’s no doubt about it. But would you consider cycling as your main mode of transport in the city? If you wouldn’t, just know that this Foreign Trade Minister begs to differ.
Recently, in the “Cycling Kuala Lumpur” event, the Netherlands Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, had some pretty interesting things to say about the mode of transportation that should be used by KL-ites.
According to her, bicycles should be the mode of transport in the federal city to promote healthier lifestyles among city-dwellers, as reported by NST.
Source: The Malay Mail
She had asked us to take her country as an example. According to her, cycling had become a common transportation mode for 36 per cent of the people in the Netherlands, who use bicycles to get around on a normal day. Well, I reckon if we had a weather like that we would be cycling all the time too, wouldn’t we?
“This high frequency of bicycle travel is enabled by excellent cycling infrastructure such as cycle paths, cycle tracks within the city and by making cycling routes shorter, quicker, and more direct than car routes,” she said.
Source: Twitter
“The bicycle routes not only provide an alternative to people who opt to cycle in the city centre, but also encourages a network of routes for bicycle tourism which reaches all corners of the city. It is also an alternative to complement the public transport system and reduce the use of private cars to minimise city pollution,” she said.
Towards the end of the event, that was held in conjunction with World Urban Form 9 (WUF9), more than 90 VIPs, including corporate, government representatives, and business associates cycled on a 1.5 kilometre route (cycling lane) from the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTIC) to Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).
Source: Twitter
Thinking about it, cycling as a mode of transportation does elevate our lifestyle and preserve the environment. However, are we willing to brave KL’s hot and sunny weather, 365 days a year? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Also read: Man Reveals Sad Reality of Malaysians Misusing KL’s New Bicycle Lane
