7 Reasons to Turn to Bicycle Mobility

Why is turning to bicycle mobility important? Here 7 reasons why it would be a good idea to move by bike, becoming more sustainable for the environment and improving our health 

In the last year, in which coronavirus has obliged us to change our habits, a thing over everything has come to light: the problem of over-pollution. While we were closed at home, doing our duty to avoid the spread of the contagion, we saw the nature taking a sigh of relief. We saw videos of wild animals that walked undisturbed along the streets of towns, the water of canals in Venice becoming clear, dolphins playing near the docks of ports. Personally, I experienced a night of absolute silence, then another one where in the only sound was the rain falling on the balcony and on the ground. Now we're gradually moving again and I ask myself how pollution situation will evolve: will we adopt more green behaviours?

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Talking about responsible behaviours towards the environment, the first thing that comes to my mind is: how do you move? Before the pandemic, many people used public means of transport; now, because we must keep the distance or because of fear, those who must move prefer to use a private vehicle. This choice makes sense, but what’s the downside? A sudden and disproportionate number of cars on the roads, more traffic and a return to old pollution rates, if not higher. The simpler solution available for everyone to move safely without intoxicating the environment that comes to my mind is bicycle mobility. 

Where I live, in Apulia, even though many towns have the ideal characteristics for the development of this sustainable alternative, there’s a lot of resistance for the usage of bikes as a full-fledged means of transport. Here bike is considered by the most as an instrument to practice sport or to play for children, despite being perhaps the best vehicle to move in town.

Let’s see together why and what would be the advantages in using regularly bikes as means of transport.

Less traffic

Obviously! There’s no need to explain. The immediate and more evident result would be a lower number of cars out there and, consequently, less traffic, less congestion and that brings us directly to the second point...

More efficient public means of transport

Think about the delay of public means of transport. I don’t know about your place, but here we’re all used to consider driving time plus that that we’ll pass stuck in traffic. With fewer cars on the roads, the circulation of public means of transport would be more fluent and delays caused by congestion would reduce dramatically.

Less impact on the environment

No exhaust gas, no fuel to burn...Well, the environment thanks and breaths!

Less deterioration of monuments and historical heritage

It’s known that smog is one of the main causes of the deterioration of historical and artistic monuments that embellish our towns. That means that regular maintenance and cleaning must be done to preserve our treasures and we all know that these works are expensive. If there are fewer cars out there and, so, less smog, the need for maintenance of our historical and artistic heritage would be reduced and its costs would be limited. We all would help in the preservation of our beauties!

It’s not only a green but an economic means of transport, too

The purchase of a bike is practically available for everyone. Besides the cost of the purchase, the significant saving is overall on all those costs that are linked with the maintenance of a car. No car tax, no insurance, no fuel. For the old saying “time is money”, let’s also add a saving in time (and fuel) that we could waste, on the contrary, stuck in traffic. The wallet is happy, too!

No constraints of parking and of LZT

Do you remember that feeling of anxiety that gets you when you go around like a spinning top looking for a park that you don’t find or the bother of finding an alternative route because you find a restricted traffic zone? I do and those are some of the reasons why I drive my car only when it’s absolutely essential. Bike makes these thoughts disappear.

It’s a psychophysical blessing

Bike is a means of transport activated by our energy. Moving by bike, you will inevitably make some movement. We’d have toned muscles, more health at cardiovascular level, better oxygenation and, not to forget, a better mood, thanks to the production of endorphins granted by physical activity. Is it not enough?

Promoting the usage of bikes as means of transport would be a winning move on multiple fronts. Sure, also bikes have negative sides, as everything, but they’re definitely fewer than the advantages. At the moment, with the high number of cars and the lack of cycle paths everywhere, using bikes may be dangerous, but what would happen if everyone converts to bikes, driving cars just when absolutely necessary? I’m sure that the streets of our towns would be more liveable and we and the environment would be healthier.    

What do you think about moving by bike? Would you do it or do you prefer other means of transport?  Would you suggest other solutions for the sake of our environment?