Nigeria launches 'bicycle riding' project for transportation in Abuja

© Marco Richter via 123RF

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, told journalists that the introduction of bicycles as a means of transportation would reduce congestion on the road and also improve the health of the riders.

"National Council on Transportation is a policy making Council if nothing else; we approved that we should do a pilot project on bicycle riding in FCT. This is because Abuja is the only city that has the facility for bicycle riding.

"For other states who want to do it, we must provide facility before they can proceed with it; we want to separate them from the roads because some motorists are impatient.

"So, we decided that we do it in Abuja because if you check, nearly all the roads in Abuja, there are lanes for bicycles.

How streets can help bridge social and spatial divides

Ilse van den Berg  26 May 2017

"Any other state that wants to go ahead can do that but they must provide lanes for bicycles so that we do not have numerous accidents," he said.

He said that using bicycles as a means of transportation was not new, adding that countries including in China, UK and others already using it.

"An investment"

Amaechi, who described the project as an investment, said it would also help with exercise and reduction in the number of passengers using other forms of transportation including cars within the cities.

Commenting on another project, he said that the ongoing rail projects would really boost the economy.

According to him, the Lagos-Ibadan railway construction would need about 150,000 workers before its completion.

"Construction alone that is going on between Lagos- Ibadan would really boost the economy.

"The railway work that is going on there will need about 150,000 workers and when it is done, the business it would generate would help employ people."