WINDHOEK, June 4 — Tate Johannes, a public servant in Namibia’s capital Windhoek, rode his bicycle to work on Friday.
“The benefits of riding my bike are many, including good health and cost-efficient,” he said.
“Today, we cycled on a guarded road. Cycling without fear was a great experience, as one usually tends to hold back due to road safety concerns in some parts of town that are not friendly in this respect,” Johannes said.
Johannes is living in Windhoek, with a population of over 400,000, betting on a revolution for safer mobility for cyclists as Namibia joins the rest of the world in celebrating World Bicycle Day on June 3, 2022. Cyclists rode to work, while others formed part of a parade along the main roads in the capital during the day.
In a move to make city roads safe for cyclists, the Windhoek Municipality is constructing new cycle lanes along selected routes as part of the Municipality Smart City scheme. The smart city concept was invented after rapid urbanization created many challenges to transportation and safety in the City.
Hilda Nathanael from the City of Windhoek said that the project aims to ensure that, city dwellers have a cheaper option of moving about safely.
The project roll-out comes after the City of Windhoek participated in the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI) challenge with the EBikes4Windhoek initiative in 2018 and was chosen as the winning candidate for the year 2019.
“The initiative forms part of the City’s effort to make economic opportunities more accessible to residents, reduce peak-hour congestion and car accidents, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution associated with a car,” she said.
Horst Heinstadt, chief executive officer of Namibia Road Safety Forum, the organizer of the World Bicycle Day event, said the event aimed to promote cycling as a form of commuting.
“Bicycles are a good transport mode for dwellers. We commend the Windhoek Municipality and partners on the effort made to construct new cycle lanes. The aim is to, by 2030, have a cycling-friendly city,” Heinstadt said.
Modestus Simon from an organization that advocates for inclusive cycling also participated in the event. Simon is optimistic that the construction of the new lanes would transform transportation in the City and drive for inclusivity for many city dwellers.
He hopes that law enforcement would put stern measures against those violating bicycle lanes to ensure accessibility and safety.
Official records show that vulnerable road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, account for 24 percent of road fatalities. (Xinhua)
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