BLOG SURF: Fuel-less vehicles

In all Asian cities, ‘invisible’ bikers ride bicycles everyday to go to work, run errands, peddle livelihoods. These are not the organized, loud-mouthed advocates or the spandex racers.

Rather these are the urban poor who rely on affordable, accessible transport like walking and biking to meet their everyday needs.

We’ve all heard the rallying cry for non-motorized transport (NMT) – it’s good for the environment, good for our health, making for happy people and a happy planet.

These are central benefits of putting our gas-guzzling vehicles aside and going back to our best resource, our own energy. This approach focuses policies and investments on incentivizing mode shift: how to get people out of their cars and onto their feet.

What is less emphasized is the fact that walking and biking are the most inclusive forms of transport. It’s free to walk.

A bike can be a low investment, especially when purchased second-hand.