Rwanda should promote non-motorised transport

Editor, Refer to the letter, “Banning bicycles from main roads is not the answer” (The New Times, July 24). Greetings from Boulder, Colorado, one of the top cycling cities in the United States. Even I, as an older woman, use my bike to commute in this beautiful city filled with bike paths and bike lanes and I never feel afraid of cars because we are separated. As the former Senior Advisor on Sustainable Urbanism for the City of Kigali, I would strongly agree with the views against banning bicycles in Rwanda. Rwanda has committed itself strongly to sustainability, but what does that mean when “the rubber meets the road?” It means prioritising Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) just as much as motorised transport, or even more! Plans for bicycles and pedestrians may be along roads, but the best plans create alternative safe NMT networks where people can transport themselves without fear of competing with autos. I would strongly recommend that an NMT master plan be carefully embedded into all districts, secondary city, and the City of Kigalis plans. Even more importantly, it means committing “budget” to these activities. We need good demonstrations of NMT to teach people how great they are! I urge the Government of Rwanda and the City of Kigali to push for this agenda to show how they “walk their talk” of sustainability. Donna Rubinoff (PhD), Colorado, United States

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Rwanda should promote non-motorised transport