China and Holland promote pedal power in the capital

Experts from China and Holland are joining forces to develop a plan to help Beijing regain its status as world bicycle capital.

The Beijing Bicycle Development Strategy and Policies report was presented by Wim van der Wijk to officials and academics at the Beijing Bicycle Seminar at the Embassy of The Netherlands in Beijing on Monday.

The project, initiated and funded by the Asian Development Bank, aims to help the city achieve more sustainable mobility.

"Our vision for Beijing includes high quality bicycle routes and parking facilities, upgrading and extending the public bicycle sharing system, more trip destinations within bike-able distances and integration of cycling with a high quality public transport system for commuting," said Van der Wijk, the team leader.

In the report, Dutch and Chinese scholars pointed out the main problems and room for improvement in the management and proposed sustainable measures for a bicycle friendly Beijing.

Cycling can make a substantial contribution to promoting sustainable transport in Beijing, said Kim Ki-joon, senior transport specialist at the Asian Development Bank. The Beijing municipal government has acknowledged this and set a goal in its urban master plan to raise the bicycle share of transportation to at least 20 percent by 2020.

One of the major challenges in encouraging Beijing residents to return to cycling is the perception that cycling is not an option for daily use and that a car is an indicator of success.

"In order to grow a positive and appealing cycling culture we have provided numerous recommendations and actions for the Beijing municipal government to select from," said Maarten Neelis, regional manager of Ecofys in China, providing expertise in energy efficiency and climate policy.

The successful Hangzhou rental system was shared by Tao Xuejun, general manager of Hangzhou public transportation company management.