Save petrol, cycle to work, says Pedal Power Association
Pedal Power Association is challenging South Africans to use a bicycle as a means of transport from 24 to 28 October.
IF you are worried about the higher fuel price, or are getting fed up with sitting in rush hour traffic among all the fuel fumes, the Pedal Power Association challenges you to see if you can use alternative transport to motor cars from 24 to 28 October.
Liz Heydra from Pedal Power Association said: “Mobilise your friends and family and cycle to work as often as possible from Monday 24 to Friday 28 October. Maybe you can use a train or bus for part of the route? If that does not work for you, how about just trying to use your bicycle to pedal to the shop for bread or milk?”
She said commuting ideally works best for people who have to commute up to 20km per trip. Anything under 10km and you are even likely to be faster on a bicycle than in a car or bus.
“When commuting, you need to find a safe route – check if there are any bicycle paths in your area, and use them where possible. You don’t have to duck motor vehicles on a bicycle path, and you can move swiftly ahead. Alternatively, use quieter back roads, even if it means zig-zagging a bit, or incorporating paths through a park or across quiet early-morning parking lots,” she said.
Liz said cyclists must be visible – wear bright, reflective clothing – and must always wear a helmet.
She said it was important to support a “Cycle to Work” initiative as South Africans need to show the authorities that a need for better utility cycling facilities exists.
“By showing that there are many South Africans who would consider cycling to work, we’ll be in a stronger position to lobby for government support. Set an example for others, and see how many of your friends, family and co-workers you can motivate to start using the bicycle as a regular means of transport,” she said.
Liz said people may cycle on any public road other than a freeway, or where expressly forbidden by law.
“The law says you must ride on the left of the road, but that does not mean the edge of the road. Ride a safe distance from the edge to avoid road debris. Narrow, twisty roads without a yellow lane (road shoulder) often pose problems for cyclists because cars battle to pass cyclists and, when there is not enough space, ‘squeeze’ the cyclists off the road. If such a road is part of your day-to-day commuting road, please take extra care and make sure you wear highly visible clothing,” she said.
Give feedback to Pedal Power Association by posting your commuting photos on the Pedal Power Association or PPA Safe Cycling Facebook pages or email: liz@pedalpower.org.za
