Goal is a more rational use of the automobile with more healthy and environmentally friendly transport alternatives, such as bicycles…//
By presidential decree, Mexico recognizes the first time on September 22 as the World Day Without a Car, so the authorities of the three levels of government are organizing activities to raise awareness about the need to moderate the use of the vehicle in Merida.
Everardo Rodríguez, manager of the collective Turixes Cycle, said that in Mérida civil organizations are preparing a series of activities that encourage the rational use of the car by offering healthier and environmentally friendly transport alternatives, such as cycling.
“In Yucatan, 1 in 4 have cars, which means that only 30 percent of Yucatecans use this means of transportation; However, the space allocated to motorists is greater than pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists,” he said.
He said that in the last municipal administration, the then mayor, Mauricio Vila Dosal, invested 80 million pesos to improve streets and avenues that were in good condition to improve the mobility of motorists, “but we never saw that they extended pavements, made bike lanes or parking lots for bicycles.”
“It should be noted that of the 100 percent of the resources allocated to mobility, 80 percent is invested in motorists; for example, the bridge to Progreso, in which 200 million pesos were spent, is the only one where the cyclist cannot cross to the Faculty of Engineering; the project only took into account the motorist to the detriment of pedestrians and cyclists,” he said.
Everardo Rodríguez pointed out that cyclists are not against the use of the automobile, but that they seek to promote the use of bicycles or public transport, “besides that we must change the culture of mobility and see the possession of the vehicle as an aspirational issue.”
Text: Jorge Euán
Photos: Courtesy
