Cycling - not only for the rich and famous

09 October 2015

 

Bhoni4Kasi SA, a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to promote the culture of cycling, has developed several strategies to make cycling attractive to Johannesburg residents.

 

Speaking during a dialogue session at the ongoing EcoMobility World Festival in Sandton on Thursday October 8, Raymond Rampolokeng, founder of Bhoni4Kasi SA, said his organisation was working with the City of Johannesburg and non-governmental organisations to create awareness of the importance of cycling, especially among the youth.

 

Rampolokeng said the organisation was also encouraging parents to save money to enable their children to buy bicycles at an early age. He said Bhoni4Kasi also donated bicycles to children from poor families. The stakeholder dialogue session was aimed at exploring ways of fostering behavioural change to make ecomobility possible and attractive.

 

The EcoMobility World Festival, which runs until October 31, seeks to encourage Johannesburg residents to switch to non-motorised modes of transport – including cycling – to unclog the city of cars and reduce carbon emissions.

 

The session also heard that many countries had invested significantly in public transport infrastructure such as bus rapid transit (BRT) systems and/or dedicated cycling lanes.

 

In his presentation, Rampolokeng said Bhoni4Kasi had made it simple and attractive for the township youth to get into the habit of cycling. He also dispelled the myth that cycling was only for the rich and famous.

 

He said his organisation offered guidance and safety training to make cycling simple, enjoyable and safe. “We’ve engaged with the Johannesburg Metro Police.

 

Department, Johannesburg Emergency Management Services and tow-truck companies to create awareness of the importance of cycling and to incalculate the culture of sharing the roads with others.

 

“We need more people to be involved in cycling. We’ve also developed safety techniques for our cyclists. It is possible to cycle from Soweto to Alexandra without being robbed,” he said.

 

Rampolokeng said cycling had the potential to promote township tourism and gave unemployed youth the opportunity to become entrepreneurs. Radio journalist Stephen Grootes said the City should dedicate a weekend to cycling to increase awareness.

 

Jonas Eliasson, of the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, said it was important to have a marketing campaign on cycling and bicycle lanes. Eliasson said it was easy for people to associate cycling and bicycles with their role models. He said many people would use bicycles if they lived near their places of work. Eliasson added that some people used bicycles for health reasons and to keep fit.

 

“Cool and famous people in Scandinavian countries use bicycles on a daily basis,” he said.