Build bicycle lanes, encourage cycling to slow climate change

Cycling is an alternative means of transportation that is within reach for many people. [iStockphoto]

In Kenya, majority of trips are made by cycling and walking. Only 15 per cent are made by private vehicles, and mostly in the urban areas. Despite this, the construction and planning of towns and transportation systems rarely factors in the place of cyclists or other vulnerable road users (VRUs). 

Additionally, the criteria for selecting road projects in Kenya, while not factoring in special lanes for cyclists and other VRUs, also emphasises economic considerations, meaning that road access for vulnerable groups is not given priority. As such, cycling is often perceived as poor man’s activity and as a sign of a region’s low economic development.