[sustran] Chandigarh. India

[Pascal van den Noort]

Velo Mondial's Bicycle Friendly Community Program 

Today the Mayor of the City of Chandigarh, India signed the
<http://www.velomondial.net/page_display.asp?pid=7> Charter for Bicycle
Friendly Communities. 

The following report is from the
<http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050726/cth1.htm#18> Chandigarh Tribune

Plan for bicycle riders 
Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, July 25
The Municipal Corporation, today, initiated a significant step to make the
city bicycle-friendly. Ms Anu Chatrath, Mayor, signed the Velo Mondial
(London, Amsterdam) charter and action plan for bicycle-friendly
communities, on behalf of the city today. Mr Christopher Huggins
countersigned the charter on behalf of Velo Mondial. 

Describing the charter, the Mayor said it provides a blueprint and a set of
directives for promoting the bicycle as an efficient, environmentally
friendly alternative to motorised transport. Ms Chatrath said the city; with
a population exceeding one million had, as in big cities everywhere,
environmental challenges and transport problems. 

"A large number of city residents own bicycles and continue to use this
highly economical mode of transport. However, existing facilities for
bicycle riders in the city are not sufficient. An increasing number of
cities worldwide now look upon the bicycle as a solution to improving the
environment, reducing congestion, enhancing public health and more," she
maintained. 

The Mayor said with the signing of this charter, the corporation had made
public its will to bring respect and dignity back to the cyclist. The
bicycle as the poor man's transport was in fact the healthiest mode of
transport. Its usage had reduced in recent years, in many cases because of
the safety issues and the rise of air pollution, both caused by motorised
vehicles. 

Through starting a dialogue with Velo Mondial, the city has taken a step
further towards promoting the bicycle as an effective mode of transport for
its citizens. In the following weeks, an analysis will be made on the
current state of bicycle friendliness in the city. Factors such as bicycle
safety, cycle paths, funding and partnerships will be explored.
Representatives of the city will be invited to the next Velo Mondial
conference in Cape Town, South Africa, (March 5 to 10, 2006) in order to
represent the city and voice their views, the Mayor added. 

The signing represents one more major achievement in the "360 ways venture"
which began in Paris in June 2004. Having crossed seven European countries,
Christopher Huggins and Peter Kennedy reached India on June 2 and
Christopher reached the city on July 9. 

The "360 ways venture" aims at promoting the bicycle a mode for urban
transport and solution for sustainable urbanisation. The project was chalked
out by Christopher Huggins and Peter Kennedy, with the support from the
sponsors, to give a new life to the bicycle globally. 

"This is a starting point for cities that realise the benefits of the
bicycle for all. Among these benefits are reduced air pollution and noise
pollution, less accidents and less traffic congestion. The health and well
being of citizens of bicycle-friendly cities gets improved not only by the
route physical activity itself, but also through lower air pollution and
less road accidents", Huggins maintains.


 

 

 

 

 

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