Cyclists attend three-day ECF meeting
CYCLISTS from the TRNC travelled to Milan in Itay for a three-day annual meeting of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) which concluded on Sunday.
The TRNC delegation from the Cycle Lovers’ Association joined interactive workshops which included subjects such as advocacy for bikers rights and facilities.
On his return to the TRNC on Tuesday, association head Hüseyin Akcan told Cyprus Today: “Our association, which was set up in 2010, is a full member of the European federation and we have been officially registered with it as KKTC Bisiklet Severler Derneği since 2013.
“This year, for the first time, we cast our vote in the election of a new board which is now headed by Christophe Najdovski as the new president. It was a very fruitful meeting. We had the chance to obtain the latest information and vision for the future of cycling.
“We are hopeful of becoming part of the European cycle route network, called EuroVelo, which already shows cycle routes throughout the world, including in Turkey and South Cyprus. There are some cycle lanes and work relating to cycling is being carried out in the TRNC but we wish to see more development which would allow us to be part of the network.”
The meeting in Milan concluded with a bike tour of the city’s historic areas on Sunday. “The federation promotes cycling as a sustainable and healthy means of transportation and this tour allowed us to see the detail of historical places in narrow streets that would not have been possible in a car,” said Mr Akcan. “The federation also set up a system whereby bikers can receive emails on subjects including their impact on the environment and how many calories they burn by cycling. It is an amazing system that promotes and encourages people to use bikes as a practical means of transport. “This is what we need in the TRNC, which has increasing traffic problems.”