|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 7 November 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Pedal power
It is affordable and easy to maintain - cheap to buy, to run and are widely available. It reduces traffic congestion - best for short distance trips less than five kilometres. It is found to be the most appropriate tool to reduce traffic congestion and improve access to cities. It is energy conserving - consumes less energy per passenger kilometre than any other form of transport and you do not need to bother about a fuel bill if you travel by bicycle. It improves physical fitness - Among common physical activities, it is the one nearest to the ideal form of exercise. It is a cure for back pain, improving the muscles and stabilising individual vertebra. It is a good exercise for pain in the knees due to breakdown of cartilage. It also improves the immune system and circulation, strengthening the cardiovascular system. It is environment friendly - No fuel means no emissions and therefore, no pollution. A positive point when it comes to global warming. by Vimukthi Fernando If you are a daily traveller from Ratnapura to Colombo, what mode of transport would you choose? A luxury bus, a van, or may be a car. But, not A.M. Sumanaweera. His choice of transport to travel the 110-km distance from his home in Nivithigala, Ratnapura to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Kolonnawa is the bicycle. "It takes about three hours and fifteen minutes for me to reach home now, Those days it was two hours and twenty minutes maximum", says Sumanaweera adding that he is over 56 years. What makes Sumanaweera choose the bicycle as his mode of transport? It is not only because he is a cycling champion of yester-years, but, the versatility of this mode of transport. "It gives you a lot of freedom of manoeuvre. It does not need much space and is adaptable to different road conditions. It does not block the roads like other large vehicles. It is economical, environment friendly and most of all keeps you healthy. At 56, I get sick only when I do not cycle," he says. At an age where global warming and climate change threatens the world with an increasing intensity, with a barrel of oil priced over US $ 50 in the world market - the bicycle - the price find of the 1940s by Scotsman Kirkpatrick Macmillan is seeing its renaissance throughout the world. It had already taken the European Union (EU) by storm, so much so, that vehicles except bicycles are barred from entering certain cities. Cities such as Copenhagen in Denmark with over 323 km of cycle paths are a haven for cyclists. The use of bicycles are promoted to curtail environment pollution. A vehicle propelled by manpower, the bicycle has no carbon-dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions or blaring horns that create sound pollution in the city. In the developed world, cycling has taken a new dimension. As a sport it has become more challenging while as a mode of transport it has broken the social barriers or the labelling as the 'poor man's vehicle.' It is being recognised for its 'clean bill of health' and advantageous to the environment as well as the individuals. 'Cycle fever' is spreading in the Asian continent as well. Countries such as Malaysia and Japan welcomes cyclists with greener cities, paved and shady paths, cycle parking facilities and more cyclist friendly policies. China and India keeping to its tradition of cycling have started promoting the use of cycles in diverse fields. It is a cheap and cheerful mode of transportation, affordable for many Sri Lankans as well. An average bicycle is priced at the range of Rs. 5,000 to 10,000. With no fuel cost and a lesser maintenance cost compared to motor vehicles (even the motor bicycle), it seems to be the ideal mode of transport for Sri Lankans. However, in Sri Lanka this method of conveyance seems to be getting step-motherly treatment. Cyclists are being pushed to the edge of the road every day. With the influx of motor vehicles in the past few years, they have been virtually prevented from entering the cities, in stark contrast to those in the developed EU countries. The bicycle, which was an affordable, environment friendly popular mode of transport among the general public, about 25 years ago, is no more. Instead, you get motor vehicles - cars, vans, jeeps, busses, three-wheelers and motorbicycles chock-a-block jamming the roads. In the rat race of reaching the road-head the road rules, discipline and ethics of driving are discarded as you step into the road. Pedestrians and cyclists are regarded more as a nuisance to motorists than persons with equal rights to use Sri Lankan roads. Cyclists are left to run in a maze negotiating bad road conditions and hordes of traffic, to evade being hit. The road networks in the cities and suburbs, especially in Colombo are a death-trap to cyclists. According to police records, 70 per cent of road accidents in 2003 had involved pedestrians and cyclists, and out of 2,096 deaths 311 had been cyclists. "Though the road conditions have developed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the way through the maze of traffic," says Sumanaweera. "Though you have more freedom from society as a female cyclist, it is becoming increasingly dangerous to take to the roads. It is difficult for adult cyclists and impossible for children," says Vasantha Kahapola Arachchi, a Women's Cycling Champion. "Separate cycle lanes or cycle paths is a must, before promoting cycling in the cities," says SSP Latif, City Traffic Division. In Sri Lanka, infrastructure faculties catering to the requirement of the cyclists is minimal. Cycle lanes only exist in the Highway Code and cycle paths, only in dreams. There is little cycle parking facility. The cycle stands that were available in public places a quarter century ago, have vanished completely. Added to that there is a high tax (40 per cent according to traders) imposed on bicycle imports. Augmenting the problem is the inadequate road network which creates traffic congestions. Air and noise pollution from motor vehicles and the shadeless high rises in the concrete jungle are the deterrents which makes it difficult to endear one to take up cycling. However, out of approximately 4.3 million vehicles in Sri Lanka, over two million are bicycles, says Amal Suriyage, President, National Mountain Biking Association (NMBA). "We have a culture of cycling and a good base, though the practice of cycling is decreasing in the cities it is still the most popular mode in the rural sector and some urban sectors, such as Negombo, Matara, Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa and Jaffna it is a popular mode of conveyance," he points out. The NMBA, formed to see to the welfare and benefit of developing cycling as a sport now sees its importance as a mode of transportation and a form of recreation, he says. However, the bicycle's utility value needs to be appreciated and the necessary infrastructure needs to be developed, he explains. The bicycle lost its prestige in Sri Lanka in the 21st century due to bad governing, says Shabir Jafferjee former President of the Sri Lanka Cycling Federation and Member of the Interim Committee of the Federation. The roads cannot cope with the traffic. They are either narrow or line up to the forefront of shops. It is the wrong policies, wrong decisions people have made, he says. What needs to be done to improve the status of cycling amongst the Sri Lankan community? Developing appropriate infrastructure, policies and practices for greater use of bicycles, says a spokesperson from ITDG, a non-governmental organisation which has come forward to promote bicycles as an alternative mode of transport. Improving road safety and infrastructure, including streets to incorporate cycling, allocating safe parking, setting up traffic signals for cyclists on priority basis, introducing loans, insurance schemes and fines for breaching of the highway code are some activities they propose. ***** A mega bicycle rally and a cycling fair is organised jointly by the ITDG, SLCF and NMBA at the Vihara Maha Devi Park today. The cycling carnival beginning with rallies from Moratuwa and Ja-Ela will include cycling competitions, traffic safety education programmes and trade and educational stalls. ***** The all-purpose bicycle The bicycle in Sri Lanka is not only a sport or a mode of transport. It becomes the sole income generating unit for some Sri Lankan families. Many small entrepreneurs have turned out his bicycle to a mobile sales centre or a mini workshop. Others, with improved facilities such as side cars and carriers have improved its cargo carrying capacity to a great level. Mobile vendors on bicycles are still a common site in the rural Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Postal Service still operates on bicycles at the grass roots. Two cyclists brought world fame for Sri Lanka in the 1960s, Maurice Coomaravel representing Sri Lanka in the Rome Olympics in 1960 and Trevor de Silva winning two bronze medals in the Asian Games, in Thailand in 1966. It is sad that with improved facilities and techniques, in the past three decades Sri Lanka could not reach upto the standards set by these pioneer cyclists. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
