EASST partners in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan call for safer cycling infrastructure and awareness on World Bicycle Day
On 3rd June EASST partners in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan marked World Bicycle Day with fresh calls for safer cycling infrastructure and awareness.
With the support of the FIA Foundation Road Safety Grant Programme, both the Young Generation of Tajikistan (YGT) and the National Federation of Autosport and Karting of Uzbekistan (NAFKU) have been working with EASST to build public support for active travel and road safety, and to advocate for better standards of walking and cycling infrastructure in their countries.
On 3rd June, students of the Sergeliy Professional College and the Turin Technical University in Tashkent took part in practical cycle safety sessions and discussions with NAFKU on pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in the city, sharing their views on how things can be improved to make cycling safer and encourage more young people to take up cycling as an everyday mode of travel.
In Tajikistan, YGT partnered with Critical Mass Dushanbe to organise a mass cycle ride event highlighting the growing demand for safe cycling infrastructure and investment. The ride concluded with a public discussion, with calls for slower speeds on roads where cyclists, pedestrians, and motor vehicles mix.
Both these events aimed to draw attention to road safety from the perspective of vulnerable road users, encouraging decision makers to think beyond the needs of car drivers when it comes to transport planning and to develop policies that prioritise and protect pedestrians and cyclists.
Globally, cities that have already shifted focus in this way are reaping multiple benefits not only in terms of road safety, but they are also seeing improved air quality, social equity, and public health.
