Increasing the share of bicycle use by 10% is the objective of the «Commitment for the Bicycle», which, after the Councils of Lagoa and Lagos, the Municipality of Loulé, as well as schools, companies and clubs in the municipality, also joined on Wednesday Thursday, 21st, during the seminar «Urban Mobility», which took place in the auditorium of the Loulé Secondary School.
The official commitment to promoting the use of bicycles in the municipality was the culmination of a Wednesday rich in initiatives at the Loulé Secondary School, whose small auditorium received several debates and interventions all under the theme of Mobility.
Scattered around the auditorium, tables with students and various municipal entities, such as the Civil Protection, the county's schools and the executive himself accompanied the afternoon's work.
In the end, you have an idea of what you want for Loulé in the future. And it goes through the example given by the Spaniard Xosé Manuel Tato, who came to present the case study that is Pontevedra. Since 1999, that city, located in Galicia, has been promoting a program of bet on alternative mobility, such as walking or cycling.
For this, he created, for example, the «Metrominute» – a map, similar to a subway network, where the distances and minutes it takes to walk between various places in the city are given. Taking into account the illustrative images of the measures that were taken, shown by Xosé Manuel Tato, Pontevedra is a «party with people», in the words of the mayor of Loulé Vítor Aleixo.
“It was a magnificent and very enriching afternoon for those who want a more sustainable urban future. For all these measures to be taken, there needs to be political will. I want everyone here to know that the municipality of Loulé has this political will”, said the mayor of Loulé Vítor Aleixo, at the closing of the seminar “Urban Mobility”.
"I am so confident that this is the way to go that I face this challenge head on, even though we are in a difficult year, since next year there are local elections," he added. Vítor Aleixo acknowledged, however, that the first signs of concern for these issues were "given by the previous executive".
For the mayor, the big gap so far has been “the lack of training actions”. "We must make an effort in terms of education to use bicycles," he said.
The teacher who rides her bike to school every day
Fernanda Martins accompanied the entire afternoon of work in the auditorium of Escola Secundária de Loulé. Professor of Geography, the issues of sustainable mobility are not entirely new to you.
“I've been talking about this in my classes for years. I fully agree with the bet on bicycles. I myself go by bike to school every day," he confessed to Sul Informação.
Even so, teacher Fernanda Martins noted that students are reluctant to use bicycles, despite the teachings she teaches in classes, where she conveys the message that «this is the future». “In my school's bike park, there are two bikes every day: mine and a student's. Nothing more. There is still a big prejudice about using a bicycle. There are those who think that it is the means of transport for the poor,” she says angrily.
For the teacher, the students' interest in cycling is resolved “by widening the sidewalks on the streets in Loulé, improving the roads and the transition between the road and sidewalks”, so that it is easier to circulate by bicycle. "I have difficulties myself," he stressed.
Proud of the «spectacular afternoon» she was able to attend, Fernanda Martins reveals that it is in this city, «more environmentally friendly and sustainable», that she wants to live. “Cities must no longer be divided into sectors. There must be common spaces, where you can ride a bike, walk, play and socialize», he concluded.
Photos: Pedro Lemos|Sul Informação
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