[sustran] two wheelers

[Carlos Cordero V.]

Dear Colleges,

The question raised by Niklas, about the need to increase
the image of bicycles, has come  a comment from Gerry
Hawkes calling for segregated facilities
as building special bicycles tracks  and also technical improvements
like electrical assisted bicycles.

Such changes will not come with out big moves in planners minds,
specially in Latin America where the status quo rejects bicycle
transportation as an alternative- complementary scenario to improve 
the transport system.

In that context, some initial low cost measures should call for improving
social-road safety   and multimodal approachs in urban areas. Mainly it 
means that cycle user is recognize precisely as user of the system. Besides,
this aproach do not call, initially at least, for heavy investment and also 
contributes  to fight two of the principal restraints to improve bicycle
image: firstly, a wider range of daily users who should be allowed on the
road, i.e. women, children and older people and secondly the theft problem
wich normally make people unable to continue riding a bike after thief visit.   
Multimodal modal schemes, including cycle users, are normally absent in
Latinoamerican transport systems.
So if a two wheeler vehicle is not able to complete a whole trip we have a
kind of crippled vehicle or if the whole range of users are not biking we
have a ghetto for captive riders or young people on the road, then  we
really have an image problem or an incoplete image of the vehicle potential
to fulfill transport needs. 

   
Carlos Cordero V.
CICLORED
Lima , Peru
end
Carlos Cordero Velasquez
CICLORED

e mail: ccordero at amauta rcp.net.pe
Parque Federico Blume 158 
Lima 18
PERU

Fax  51 1 447 2675
telf 51 1 222 1921