It is true that using bicycles is zero-emission and eco-friendly in comparison to other means of transport which often seem to release emissions from gasoline. However, in some nations, the development of cycling is not prioritized and still uncommon. This state of affairs can be attributed to several reasons and a thorough plan from the governments that can be adopted to alleviate the situation will be outlined in this essay.
Two main factors are to blame for the unpopularity of opting for a bicycle as the main daily transportation worldwide. Firstly, the speed and travel time by bicycle is lower than other means of transportation, which means it is solely suitable for transferring in short distances. Workers or students who are far from their companies or schools cannot commute by cycling because it is very time-consuming. A further reason is the traffic infrastructures in many nations do not support cyclists, they don’t have lanes for bicycles and must travel on the pavements or along with other vehicles on the roads. Such situations are unsafe and can lead to an increase in opportunistic traffic accidents.
I believe that the governments should invest more in the traffic infrastructure on a national scale. This stems from the fact that if the governments construct lanes and enact more traffic laws that benefit cyclists, individuals can be encouraged to use bikes instead of other vehicles. For instance, the Netherlands is called the cycling heaven on Earth, where Dutch citizens are discouraged from using cars and taught the paramount importance of using bicycles to save the environment, cyclists also have their own lanes and traffic lights to make the cycling experience the most convenient. This example clearly underlines such efforts from the government can lead to an increase in bicycle activity.
In conclusion, cycling can be considered to be inconvenient for those who need to travel long distances, and where the infrastructures do not have conditions and concentrate on cyclists. I am of the view that a suitable plan from the governments to develop road systems, aiming for cyclists can create incentives among citizens for riding.