FG asks Nigerians to consider riding bicycles for transportation

<p>The Federal Ministry of Transportation has called on Nigerians to consider bicycles as an alternative means of transportation.</p>, <p>The Director of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, Musa Ibrahim, said this at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting held in Abuja.</p>, <p>Ibrahim said the goal is to increase the importance of cycling in Nigeria, to cause a decrease in traffic and accidents.</p>, <p>He stated that the stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting aligns with World Bicycle Day, which is marked annually on June 3 through a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution.</p>, <p>According to him, World Bicycle Day recognises the uniqueness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle as a simple, affordable, reliable, clean, and environmentally sustainable means of transport, fostering environmental stewardship and health.</p>, <p>He also noted that the use of bicycles could serve as a means of eradicating poverty, advancing sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and young people, promoting health, preventing disease, and facilitating social inclusion.</p>, <p>In his address, the Chief Executive Officer of Non-Motorised Transportation (NMT), Ochenuell Mobility, Emmanuel John, stated that the cycling initiative goes beyond efforts to address climate change by reducing carbon footprints.</p>, <p>He stated that countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) waste 3% of their GDP each year due to traffic congestion.</p>, <p>He proposed that developing an NMT travel culture in the country through the implementation of Green Corridors is a panacea for some of the identified drawbacks.</p>, <p>John added that most of the challenges encountered with increased usage of motorised transportation will be reduced to a large extent if the Federal Government supports and adopts the National Stakeholders Forum on Bicycle Transportation.</p>