Others News
- Guangdong News
Date: 2-Jan-2007 Sources: (Shenzhen Daily)
MORE than 1,000 people living and working in the Overseas Chinese Town (OCT) cycled on the city's first bike track Saturday morning to celebrate the New Year.
After the event was initiated by a Northwest-style drum performance, the team, headed by Ren Kelei, CEO of the OCT Group, rode around the town in half an hour.
'We are not just promoting cycling as a sport. We think it represents a more civilized and healthy lifestyle,' said Ren.
The entrepreneur, who has been riding a bicycle to and from work for a while, said he hopes cycling will become another cultural symbol of the OCT.
'I used to spend 15 minutes driving from my home to my office in the OCT, including the time taken to pick up the car and find a parking space. Cycling doesn't take me any longer,' he said.
The newly completed cycle path is painted red with a long-lasting and environmentally-friendly imported German material.
The first-phase of the project, which began Nov. 10, covers 10 kilometers and has cost 3 million yuan (US$375,000). When the second phase is completed in March, the bike track will extend 16 kilometers along every road in the area. The OCT Group is also planning a third phase that will provide new pedestrian paths and bike tracks to Yanhan Hill Park and Swan Lake.
The project, which attracted controversy when it was announced in October, was the brainchild of Ren following a European tour in summer. While some said that bikes are less efficient than cars with a much lower speed and occupy a large amount of road space, Ren found that many European nations invest generously on cycling facilities to help curb pollution. In Copenhagen, Denmark, where almost every resident owns a bike, more than one-third of the population cycles to work.
'People tend to walk to their destinations within 500 meters. Cycling is most convenient to cover up to 6 kilometers in less than 30 minutes,' said Guan Shan, spokesman of the OCT Group.
Guan said residents in the area used to walk, drive, or call a taxi to go shopping, while in fact the most convenient way to cover that distance is by bike.
More than 20 free parking lots have been launched along the bike track for cyclists, in places like Wal-Mart, the Eco Square, and the Seaview Hotel near the Metro station.
'We are installing 139 monitor cameras around the town in cooperation with the city government. Hopefully that will help keep away thieves. Our security guards are also patrolling 24 hours a day,' said Yang Qingshuang, one of the group's security officials.
David Jamieson, an Australian working with InterContinental Shenzhen, said he will cycle to work from now on. 'I was an amateur athlete back home and I love cycling. But I am still a bit worried that my new bike may be stolen,' he said.
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