By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Ministry of Transport announced an advertising campaign called Bicionarios (visionary bicycle use) to encourage people to make more use of bicycles instead of other means of transport.
Eduardo Brenes, vice-minister of transport said, "the Ministry understands the importance of increasing the use of other ways of transport such as the bicycle.” He added that the government hopes that using alternate transportation will help the country better use of public spaces.
According to the Ministry, this campaign promotes the use of bicycles beyond a recreational activity.
This Bicionario campaign seeks to encourage more people to use bicycles, raise awareness among citizens about the bicycling within the city, and influence people to use bicycles more often in the city. The campaign also hopes that it will improve the coexistence among cars, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians.
According to the campaign, "a Bicionario person is one who tries harder to get further, knows that his effort contributes to the development of his country and always moves forward in a mode of transport that is fast, healthy and friendly to the environment," said ministry in its statement.
According to data from the Inter-American Development Bank in Costa Rica, there are already 125,542 people using bicycles only in the Greater Metropolitan Area. This means, according to the ministry, that 2 percent of trips made in this area of the country are made by bicycle, and the rest are made in vehicles, motorcycles and public transport.
The Great Metropolitan Area is the area formed by the provinces of San José*, Alajuela*, Cartago* and Heredia*.
The campaign will be broadcast initially for three months and will be shared on the social networks of Ministry of Transport among other ministries.
|
A.M. Costa Rica wire services photo
According to the ministry, 2 percent of trips made
in GAM area of the country are made by bicycle.
On Thursday, January 10, the deputies unanimously approved the file # 19,548 known as the Mobility and Cycling Safety Law that seeks to encourage the use of bicycles by the population.
The law will provide the municipalities with a percentage of the fuel tax so that they can allocate those funds for the maintenance of roads and for the construction of road infrastructure that allows the safe transit of cyclists.
The Ministry of Transports did not provide information about the cost of this campaign.
-------
Should the government build better and safer roads for bike lanes before starting to promote the use of bicycles? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com.
*Click on the blue letters to reach the place in google maps.
|
