By Mark DaCosta- Guyana is one of only a handful of countries in which the bicycle is the most common means of transportation. In fact, visitors to our shores are known to express pleasant surprise that there are so many bicycles on our roads. That being the case, Guyanese should know that today, June 3, has been designated by the United Nations (UN) to be World Bicycle Day.
To mark the occasion, the UN states the following:
World Bicycle Day draws attention to the benefits of using the bicycle — a simple, affordable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation. The bicycle contributes to cleaner air and less congestion and makes education, health care and other social services more accessible to the most vulnerable populations. A sustainable transport system that promotes economic growth, reduces inequalities while bolstering the fight against climate change is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), safe infrastructure for walking and cycling is also a pathway for achieving greater health equity. For the poorest urban sector, who often cannot afford private vehicles, walking and cycling can provide a form of transport while reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, diabetes, and even death. Accordingly, improved active transport is not only healthy; it is also equitable and cost-effective.
While experts disagree with when and where the bicycle was invented, physicists agree that the bicycle is the most efficient machine ever invented by humans to convert human energy into motion.
It should be noted too that the invention of the bicycle has had a huge effect on society in terms of culture and of advancing modern methods of transportation. Several components that played a key role in the development of the automobile were initially invented for use in the bicycle. Those components include ball bearings, pneumatic tires (tyres with air inside), chain-driven sprockets and tension-spoked wheels.
Guyanese should be proud to be one of only a few countries in which more bicycles are purchased each year than cars. Some other countries on that UN recognised list are The Netherlands and Denmark.
