Brussels pushes bicycles as virus rules ease
(4 May 2020) As European cities gradually relax lockdown measures, Brussels authorities intend to take advantage of the coronavirus health crisis to turn the capital into a cycling-friendly greener place. Belgium started the first phase of exiting lockdown on Monday as some businesses were allowed to re-open and public transport resumed a regular service. To avoid a new spike in the number of infections, the use of masks in trams, buses and metros has been made mandatory, while commuters are being encouraged to walk and use their bikes if they have to go to work in a city where traffic jams are the norm. Belgium has been hard-hit by the deadly virus, with nearly 8,000 deaths recorded since the start of the pandemic. "If you compare Brussels to other cities, we see that the bike is not really used a lot," Brussels' Regional Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt told The Associated Press on Monday near a construction site where an old cobbled lane is being turned into a slick asphalt road suited for bikes. The refurbishment work is part of a project aimed at transforming 40 kilometres of car lanes into cycle ways that will be connected to the existing bike network. "I find this an excellent initiative,"said Ernest Georgin, a regular bike user. Van Den Brandt, a member of the Greens party, said the main reason people don't cycle in Brussels is the lack of safe infrastructure. She said some of the bike lanes currently set up are only temporary but she hopes the plan will be made permanent. In the immediate future, she said it's crucial more bike paths are available as an alternative to cars and public transport by September, when she expects a further easing of the lockdown, with more shops opening their doors and the majority of children going back to school. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
