Just got
back from a long weekend in Berlin, and it was so noticeable how many
more cyclists there are there, even though the public transport is
exceptional.
We wondered why this was...
Certainly the roads are wider, which provides for wider pavements
and areas to create cycle-lanes, which makes cycling around a major city
like Berlin much more palatable and safer. I was recently cycling
around London and didnt enjoy the experience at
all, with driver's behind me honking the horn as soon as the lights
flashed amber, and cars leaving little room for manoeuvre as they
whizzed past. Some friends of mine who cycle frequently around the
capital have told of the aggression that is bred on the
roads and the need to 'fight for your space'. Indeed, one friend was
recently knocked off his bike, receiving the princely sum of £40 from
the offending driver. Not the hugest compensation payout ever, but he
was still more fortunate than the two girls who
were killed in London last weekend after being knocked from their bikes
by HGV vehicles.
Berlin, and Germany in general, is definitely far and away ahead in
green thinking and lowering carbon emissions and has even been described as the renewable capital of the world. The sheer numbers of
cyclists is testament to that, and that is without any real equivalent
of the 'Boris Bike' (which I recently learnt was
pioneered by Ken Livingstone, but implemented under Johnson,... glory
stealing ###… )
Germany, we salute you...
For a great run down on the world's safest and most dangerous cities to cycle in, have a quick peak here:
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