World Bicycle Day, which is celebrated on June 3, was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in April 2018 (resolution 72/272). The document was co-authored by 56 states. And the initiative to establish this international date was made by representatives of Turkmenistan.
Therefore, based on and confirming the uniqueness, long history and multifunctionality of the bicycle, which is a simple, inexpensive, reliable and acceptable mode of transport, the UN supported this proposal. And since the – bicycle is the most environmentally friendly form of transport, its use promotes respect for the environment, maintaining health and developing sports. And all this is consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN in 2015.
By the way, the bicycle has been used as a form of transport for 200 years. It is believed that the world's first two-wheeled bicycle was invented by a native of the Kama land, Efim Mikheevich Artamonov, a serf at the Pozhvinsky plant. The design of «transport» was so durable that the master made a difficult journey on it (at a speed of 10 km/h) from the Urals to St. Petersburg for the coronation of Alexander I in 1801, where « was presented to the emperor. And the date of birth of cycling in the world is considered to be May 31, 1868, when the first 2000-meter cycling race was held on the alleys of the park in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Cloud.
Over its history, this wheeled vehicle has undergone a lot of modifications: « survived the increase and decrease of the front wheel, became a tandem, adapted for female cyclists, children and the disabled... By the way, bicycle production played a big role in creating a technical base for other types of transport, primarily motorcycle» and motor transport.
Today, the number of types of bicycles and related equipment makes your eyes wide open. And the areas of application of this vehicle are very generally divided into three:
1. As a means for transporting people and goods. For example, postal services and health workers in a number of countries use bicycles in their work, especially in rural areas; The police also use bicycles to patrol the streets. And in Asian countries, cycling is one of the main means of transportation due to its low cost.
2. Cycling. Thus, individual and group races are Olympic sports, and the number of competitions of various levels takes place in a huge number around the world – athletes race on highways and off-road, participating in international marathons, championships and rallies.
3. Like entertainment and leisure.
By the way, in many countries bicycles are now at the peak of popularity, and in some countries – is a national means of transportation.
It is therefore not surprising that the UN supported World Bicycle Day and called on stakeholders to promote and promote the use of the « bicycle as a means of achieving sustainable development, strengthening education, including physical education, for children and youth, health, disease prevention, tolerance, mutual understanding and respect and promoting social inclusion and a culture of peace».
Moreover, the UN calls on member states to pay attention to the bicycle not only as a means of improving physical and mental health and well-being, but also to create a culture of cycling in society. That is, to improve road safety, in particular to implement policies and measures to protect and improve the safety of pedestrians and cycling. Include cycling in international, regional, national and subnational development programs.
In addition, according to the World Health Organization, safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists will also help strengthen public health services. For the urban sector of the least developed countries, whose residents cannot afford private vehicles, walking and cycling are becoming a sustainable mode of transport, the use of which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, diabetes and even death. Moreover, sustainable transport is not only beneficial to health, but also plays an important role in reducing financial costs and ensuring social justice.
The policy of popularizing bicycles in the world has been pursued for a long time (Photo: © mikdam /Photobank Photojenica)
It should be noted that the policy of popularizing bicycles in the world has been pursued for a long time. Bicycle paths and appropriate infrastructure are allocated, guarded bicycle parking is installed, a bicycle rental system is in place, when a bicycle is taken from the nearest place using a credit card and returned to any convenient parking, passenger trains are equipped with special carriages for passengers with bicycles, and the like. This policy helps relieve city centers from cars and improve the environmental situation. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has also forced many cities to rethink their transport systems.
So today's Day – is a contribution to the popularization of this wheeled vehicle. It is planned that in UN member countries on June 3, activists and authorities will organize bike rides, flash mobs and master classes at the national and local levels everywhere.
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