Hundreds of cyclists in Belgrade and Serbia took part in the ride on the occasion of the International Bicycle Day bringing the message of necessity of more sustainable urban transport

Belgrade, June 3, 2022 - On the occasion of marking the World Bicycle Day, UN Serbia, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Ulice za bicikliste Association, in the presence of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, organized a special edition of Critical Mass while the topic of the event was Bike Chic. Hundreds of cyclists have ridden together with the message that it is necessary to work harder on the promotion of cycling as a means of transportation.

Participants were invited to dress chic, the way they would go to a business meeting, but also to an evening out or to the theater. The goal of the event was to show that cycling is not an activity that requires special sports equipment, but safe driving conditions, bicycle lanes, calmer traffic and less motor traffic on the streets.

"Cycling is a great transportation option for urban areas, reducing pollution, traffic and costs for everyone. More than 50% of movement in urban areas is less than 5 km and can easily be done by bicycle. We need more bicycle paths, better infrastructure, so that everyone can ride a bicycle safely through all parts of the city," said Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia.

The Netherlands is one of the countries where cycling is a way of life, and on that occasion, Joost Reintjes, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Serbia, joined the ride - "Many cyclists who joined us today confirmed that many people are willing to use bicycles as a means of transport. The bicycle is healthy for people and the environment, it is a cheap means of transportation, and easy to park. It is a type of transport that is suitable for everyone regardless of age, lifestyle, or profession. "We hope that more cyclists on the streets will influence the traffic culture and better infrastructure," Reintjes added.

The event was attended by Tatjana Matić, Minister of Telecommunications, Tourism and Trade, who emphasized that "Such an initiative is necessary to raise awareness on the topic of the environment and the Green Agenda." The Republic of Serbia recognizes the importance of promoting healthy lifestyle and reducing noise and pollution. We need to preserve and maintain a healthy rhythm of life for all of us, protect the environment, but also continue to invest in infrastructure for urban cycling. The Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications supports such initiatives and we will continue to participate in actions that will contribute to a better future for us and for generations to come. "

Zoran Bukvić from the Ulice za bicikliste Association emphasized that "Cities in the 21st century are facing many challenges, and transport is just one of them. In the fight against pollution and climate change, we must adapt to sustainable types of transportation, such as walking, cycling, and quality public transport. We should stop perceiving cycling only as a sport and recreation, but also as an equal type of transport. In that sense, it is important that today we have shown by example that sports equipment is not required for riding a bicycle, but safe driving conditions and less motor traffic on the streets.

Cyclists passed New Belgrade, a part of the city known for its large number of business centers, where they promoted the bicycle as an ideal means of transportation to go to work, but also to school, college, or an evening out. On that occasion, a strong message was sent to employers that caring for employees means providing conditions to get to work with the healthiest means of transport, and to decision-makers that caring for citizens means investing further efforts in developing reasonable cycling infrastructure and realization of planned bike paths.

About Biking and World Bicycle Day 

In 2018 the United Nations General Assembly declared 3 June the World Bicycle Day, thus recognizing the importance of cycling and its contribution to realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. International days are opportunities to draw raise awareness about certain issues and call for action, which is what we are doing on this occasion.

The bicycle has been used as a means of transportation for more than 100 years. In the Netherlands, cycling flourished in the 1970s as a response by local authorities to the oil crisis. The change began with the opening of streets for cyclists on Sunday in all streets, and now, 50 years later, the number of cyclists in the Netherlands exceeds 22 million.

One of the proven patterns for the development of cycling as a means of transportation is the development of cycling infrastructure in cities. Although Belgrade is not Amsterdam, because it is hilly in relation to the Dutch plains, the morphology of the terrain does not have to be an obstacle. Namely, from the beginning of the development of cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands, as well as the provision of benefits to cyclists, there is a clear increase in this healthier mode of transport in everyday life.

The prejudice that the bicycle is a means of transport for the poor had been overcame by the fact that the bicycle is the most popular means of transport in the richest countries in Europe. The Cycle chic trend also shows that not only athlethes use bicycle.