Domestic Affairs

Biking good to reduce gas emission

By Chen Xuefei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-05-17 17:15
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Second, the management of bicycles should be based on the overall benefit, not to just make profit itself. In general, it is good for the environment and for air quality, it can also provide some jobs for those who are unemployed. Thus, the city government should let the district or local business take care of this. Local government can give some discipline, for example to keep it clean and keep it well functioning. Local government can also give them help by allocating more space to them! Of course they will pay some fees and tax, but give them chance to operate in a profitable way.

Third, it is also very important that the road for bicycles should be kept as wide as it was and not allow cars to invade. If the government or the traffic management sector really pay attention to bicycles, then it is a 'must' that a bicycle road is vacated only for bicycles. In that way, people will naturally choose to ride bicycles at their convenience. It is also a specific way to embody the fairness for both car drivers and bicycle riders.

To wipe out a good tradition is easy because as long as the government pays much more attention to cars, it will create a car friendly environment. But it is a universal problem now that in big cities, due to many cars, the traffic jams and air pollution are coexisting. The solution is to expand public transport and bicycle and encourage people to drive less.

But to form a good habit is not that easy. Once a person drives a car more often, he will not ride a bike any more, especially after his weight gains, he will drive more. In particular if that good environment for bicycle disappears, it will be more difficult to revive the good habit.

Thus, it will be a pity and very regretful if we the Chinese lost our good tradition and good habit of riding bicycles.

As long as we keep the bicycle friendly environment, the good habit will continue. The most important thing is that it is a good way to reduce greenhouse gas emission and make city air quality better. That will be a great benefit for everybody!

It is good to learn from the west to become modern, but we also need to think how to avoid their problems such as obesity and diabetes. And one of the perfect ways is to keep the bicycle track so that more people can ride a bike to go to work or shop. The bicycle road is not only a way to alleviate traffic, reduce emission of greenhouse gas, but also a way to reduce diabetes and other cardio problems.

In the long run, it will be conducive to the environment, people's health and alleviating traffic jams because one car lane can be used by many cyclists, the road efficiency can be substantially improved.

It is also one of the best ways to help realize the next five year plan target of reducing emission!

The author is a freelance journalist. She can be reached at chenxuefei7@hotmail.com. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the China Daily website.

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