Government should consider cyclists while building roads

We've watched in silence as authorities in Nakuru County push cyclists right up to wall.

There are no more bicycle racks for safe parking outside the friendly businesses that used to welcome riders in Nakuru. Racks disappeared almost overnight, meaning some force compelled business owners to adopt to a new order.

Surprisingly, several walkways are now under construction along the Oginga Odinga Road and also at Free Area along the railway line. It's a welcome move that makes it easier for workers to walk at a safe distance away from the busy highways.

Some have said cyclists are the most hated of commuters. That could be so for various reasons. Needless to say, paying less attention to bicycles is only realistic in the short term. Not everyone will prefer to walk distances exceeding two kilometres. Some may decide to cycle to town for various reasons rather than use a matatu.

Some abrupt changes are already taking place in some of the large cities of the world due to the degradation of the atmosphere.

New Delhi in India now plans to restrict movement of its 2.6 million private vehicles due to air pollution, which is getting worse by the day. It is the world's most polluted city with a high level of minute, toxic particles responsible for respiratory illnesses that have unsettled residents.

Further afield, Milan and Rome in Italy plan to impose bans on the use of cars in an alarming turn of events in their efforts to lower smog levels in the twin cities.

Other parts of Asia have not been spared of the scourge. There are current reports on school closings and factory shutdowns in Beijing, China. The extreme measures have been ordered by the city's management in the process of combating the hazardous levels of gas emissions.

We've not reached there yet. In Africa we seemingly watch from a safe distance the unfolding events taking place in economies that are larger and fast growing. The sick and dying in the unhealthy environments do certainly yearn for something better. In turn their governments have inevitably paid the price for negligence.

Both walking and cycling are good for exercise and a green environment. Denmark, Netherlands, and some major American cities including Chicago have magnanimously developed infrastructure to encourage cycling for obvious reasons that others tend to brush away.

Chicagoan cyclists have a road safety course offered for better discipline on the bike lanes. Notwithstanding, the municipal police are on constant alert to arrest the reckless who breach the governing rules. Talking or texting while riding attracts penalties ranging between $20-$500 (Sh2039-Sh50,997).

Our local city planners must have already noticed what's going on in the more advanced cities and should draw their own conclusions because the trend is there for all to see. Worsening traffic jams could be a wake-up call for us to prepare for what is yet to come.