Thursday, October 23, 2008

Get back the bicycles


Kudos Seoul. The Seoul city government has initiated a $88 million “road diet” plan under which the number of lanes for passenger vehicles in major roads will be cut to create new bicycle paths. As per the proposal, 17 main cycle paths, totalling 200 kilometres, that criss-cross the sprawling city would be constructed.
Considering that Dubai and Sharjah have no consideration for pedestrians and cyclists (just try crossing any major highway like Sheikh Zayed Road) the news sounds great.
The bicycle is one of the best inventions of mankind ‑ clean, green and healthy mode of transportation. Leaving the cycle behind in city planning is a step backward and Global-Madrasi reserves the choicest rebuke for any city planner taking this path.
By the way, those who believe that the humble bicycle is only meant for workers and low-income groups, think again: I have come across a showroom in Dubai that sells a bicycle for as much as Dhs35,000 ($9,589).

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