It has been observed in a few countries that the number of citizens traveling via bicycles has reduced due to the increasing demand for other modes of transport such as trains, cars, and motorcycles. As the time required for travelling via cycles is twice or more than the travel time via other modes the major cause for this issue is high time consuming. In this essay, I will elaborate more on the main reason for this change of preference along with reasonable solutions to overcome the same.
In this fast-paced world, everyone is in a hurry to reach their destination. Due to this individuals find it time-consuming to travel via bicycle. For instance, if I want to attend my office which is approximately 30 kilometers away from my house, I will prefer the train or car over a cycle. Because I will reach within an hour by the former and it will take me 2-3 hrs by latter mode of commute. Moreover, riding a bicycle continuously for 2-3 hrs is not only time-consuming but also a very tedious job. Therefore, people have ditched their cycles and switched to other vehicles as their main means of commute.
An easy solution to motivate citizens to use bicycles can be, making them aware of the pollution caused by other vehicles. Another long-term solution can be educating citizens on how bicycles can be environmentally friendly and beneficial to their health. For example, in my town various social workers have come together to start a Go Green campaign, where they inaugurated 100 cycles for the public and made the people aware of various health benefits like low cholesterol, healthy heart, good fitness, and mental health. Hence, people can be made aware of such advantages which will encourage them to utilize cycles.
To summarize, the real cause for the change of preference is time consumption. Encouragement can be achieved by educating the citizens about the disadvantages of other modes of commuting along with the benefits of using a bicycle.