It is time that the merits of travelling by bicycle be fully recognised, said advocacy group Pro Velo Switzerland in a statement before the first World Bicycle Day on June 3.
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Two hundred years after its invention, the bicycle has become not only a cheap and efficient form of transport but also a tool for social emancipation and economic development, according to Pro Velo Switzerland. And now it is becoming an important factor for sustainable development, it says.
World Bicycle DayExternal link was approved on April 12, 2018 as an official United Nations day of awareness about the multiple societal benefits of using the bicycle for transport and leisure.
The Swiss people will have a chance to vote this September 23 on a proposal to create a national network of cycle paths in Switzerland.
This comes after Pro Velo launched an initiative demanding that the promotion of cycling be written into the Swiss constitution in the part dealing with paths and pedestrian walkways. But the Federal Council ended up presenting a counter-proposal, which supports the principle but does not impose compulsory requirements on the communes and cantons. Pro Velo subsequently agreed to withdraw its initiative.
While several European countries have developed strategies to promote cycling, Switzerland now has the possibility to support the cantons in planning and building cycle paths, says Pro Velo.
The bicycle is an answer to many of today’s problems, says the group’s president Matthias Aebischer, since it has many advantages and very few disadvantages.
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Swiss bicycle lobby content with cycle path pledge
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The initiative, with 105,000 signatures, was handed in to the Federal Chancellery a year ago. In addition to an expansion of the national cycle path network, the initiative also demanded enough parking space for bicycles, zones with 30-kilometre-per-hour (19mph) speed restrictions, a system of fast- and slow track lanes, fewer traffic lights, and an increased…
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Voters are likely to have the final say on a people’s initiative aimed at boosting the use of bicycles, following the collection of the necessary signatures. They were handed in to the federal authorities at the beginning of March. Apart from specific tourist information on specially labelled bicycle routes and a broad comparison between six…
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Nearly 90,000 e-bikes were snapped up by riders looking for battery-powered assistance, according to the Swiss Bicycle Suppliers’ AssociationExternal link on Thursday. The biggest spike was in the mountain e-bike category with around 29,000 put to use on trails (an increase of 38.3%). Other bicycle segments did not fare as well. All-terrain and cyclo-cross bike…
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Law? What law? Switzerland has struck down a bicycle law requiring the use of a bell – a regulation that few people knew about in the first place.
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