The British “Financial Times” stated that during the epidemic prevention and control period, bicycles have become the preferred mode of transportation for many people.
According to a poll conducted by the Scottish bicycle manufacturer Suntech Bikes, about 5.5 million commuters in the UK are willing to choose bicycles to commute to and from work.
Therefore, in the UK, most of the other commercial firms are “frozen”, but the bicycle shop is one of the few firms allowed by the government to continue to operate during the blockade. According to the latest data from the British Cycling Association, from April 2020, bicycle sales in the UK have soared by as much as 60%.
A survey of 500 employees living in Tokyo by a Japanese insurance company showed that after the epidemic spread, 23% of people began commuting by bicycle.
In France, bicycle sales in May and June 2020 have doubled compared with the same period last year. Colombia’s second-largest bicycle importer reported that bicycle sales increased by 150% in July. According to data from the capital city of Bogotá, 13% of citizens travel by bicycle in August.
According to media reports, in order to meet the surging market demand, Decathlon has placed five orders with Chinese suppliers. A salesperson at a bicycle shop in the center of Brussels said that Chinese bicycle brands are very popular and need to be replenished constantly.
“The number of cyclists has increased significantly, which shows that people are changing their travel behavior for safety.” said Duncan Dollymore, the head of Cycling UK. Local governments must take immediate action to develop bicycle lanes and temporary infrastructure to make cycling even better. Safety.
In fact, many governments have issued corresponding policies. During the epidemic prevention and control period, European countries plan to build a total length of 2,328 kilometers of new bicycle lanes. Rome plans to build 150 kilometers of bicycle lanes; Brussels opened the first bicycle highway;
Berlin plans to add about 100,000 bicycle parking spaces by 2025 and rebuild intersections to ensure the safety of cyclists; the UK has spent 225 million pounds to renovate roads in large and medium-sized cities such as London, Oxford, and Manchester to encourage people to ride.
European countries have also formulated an additional budget of more than 1 billion euros for bicycle purchase and maintenance subsidies, bicycle infrastructure construction and other projects. For example, France plans to invest 20 million euros in the development and subsidies for bicycle travel, provide 400 euros per person in transportation subsidies for cycling commuters, and even reimburse 50 euros for bicycle repair costs per person.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan is carrying out a project to enable companies to actively support employees using bicycles to commute. The Metropolitan Police Department plans to cooperate with the Japanese government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to build 100 kilometers of bicycle lanes on the main trunk lines in Tokyo.
Kevin Mayne, CEO of the European Bicycle Industry Association, stated that bicycle travel is fully in line with the goal of “carbon neutrality” and is a zero-emission, safe, and efficient sustainable transportation method; the rapid growth period of the European bicycle industry is expected to continue until 2030 This will help to achieve the goals set by the “European Green Agreement” in 2015.
Post time: Oct-19-2021
