Many Zimbabweans grew up around bicycles – parents cycled to work and back on a daily basis and children used bicycles to get to school or visit friends. In rural areas cycling is still one of the most popular forms of transport as it is cheap, reliable and bike maintenance costs are relatively low. Sadly, in recent years cycling infrastructure has been overlooked by city planning where routes are prioritised for cars, not bicycles. This has made it dangerous for cyclists and even pedestrians because there are no set pathways for pedestrians and cyclists in the country.
It was inspiring to see the team at the Department of Works’ Traffic and Transportation Office of the City of Harare, take centre stage in co-ordinating and hosting the celebrations of the humble bicycle in Harare on Saturday the 4th of June 2022.
The day was first commemorated by professor Leszek Sibilski at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2018. It is officially commemorated on the 3rd of June every year in countries around the world but the main events in Harare took place on Saturday the 4th to allow more working people to take part in the event. The theme of the global event this year was to celebrate and honour the bicycle’s diversity, individuality and endurance providing a sustainable and eco-friendly means of transportation for over 200 years. Celebrations in Harare also focused on the safety aspects of cycling in the City, in view of a number of recent road deaths.
The World Bicycle Day celebrations neatly tied in with the World Environment Day on the 5th of June which was running under the theme “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature”. Cycling reduces air pollution and our dependency on fossil fuels. It is a viable alternative in a world faced by a global crisis where transportation worldwide accounts for 22% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The streets of Harare CBD around Africa Unity Square were shut down to motor vehicle traffic from 6.00am to 12.00am to allow a group of around 300 cyclists – men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life – to enjoy the freedom of the City in safety. The cycling event started at MiGym in Rolf Valley at 7.00am and by just after 8.00am most cyclists had arrived safely at Africa Unity Square. Cyclists then proceeded on a route around Harare’s usually busy streets to celebrate the day.
Cyclists and other guests supporting the event received a presentation from a representative for the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Mr. Harry Davies. He pointed out the physical, mental, financial and environmental benefits of cycling as a way of life. Cycling is an integral part of the lifestyle of city dwellers in the Netherlands with well-established infrastructure of bike lanes and bike sharing options. Ambassador Udo Volz from Germany then addressed the crowd pointing out that in the city of Munich, which is twinned to Harare, has many residents that use bicycles on a daily basis. He also referred to Mexico City, his previous posting, where motor vehicle traffic in the city is closed down on Sunday mornings to allow cyclists and pedestrians safe access. Thereafter, the Honourable Mayor of Harare, Mr. Jacob Mafume, gave his speech suggesting ways in which Harare could move forward in promoting the cycling culture. He proposed that the City should look into the maintenance and upkeep of bicycle related infrastructure, in particular safe cycle lanes. He also proposed various other ideas which the City could follow up on, including the establishment of cycle tracks for the City’s institutes of higher learning so that students from Universities and Polytechnics as well as other establishments can cycle safely to and from classes.
The day included other interesting activities such as bike market, a bike repairs workshop, a BMX demonstration and kiddies’ bike activities. The day demonstrated that there’s a huge potential to develop the ‘bike industry’ in the country with support for local manufacturers and repair services as well as tapping into funding for creating a safe bike environment. Buffalo Cycles’ stand provided fascinating information about their World Bicycle Relief project which extends across Africa and includes other developing countries. According to their website their aim is, “Empowering individuals to access education, healthcare and economic opportunities through life-changing bicycles.” Find out more about the financial implications of their programme at www.worldbicyclerelief.org.
Just one of the exciting new developments was hosted by Asambe who promote e-bikes and e-scooters for both locals and tourists, particularly in the resort town of Victoria Falls. It would seem that cycling is a new business opportunity just waiting to be developed further. Bike sharing options could be a new industry providing many employment opportunities and income generating projects.
The City of Harare organised the Harare Bike Day with assistance from stakeholders such as Asambe, Bikes4Zim, Buffalo Bicycles in co-operation with World Bicycle Relief, Clean and Green Zimbabwe in co-operation with Miracle Missions, Chovha, JM Busha54, Inspired Zimbabwe (INZI), Road Safe Zimbabwe, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, and Triathlon Zimbabwe. Support was provided by City of Munich, the Royal Netherlands Embassy, and GIZ. Sponsors included Bike Addicts, Bitumen World, BMX Harare, CIMAS, Ecocash Holdings, Econet Wireless, the Embassies of India and Switzerland, Fedex, Hitbay, Homestyle Bricks, National Foods, PJM Lifelink Ambulance, PJM Security and Response, Quality Paints, Pepsi, Practical Energy Solutions, Safeguard, and Zimpact. The help and support of such a wide range of companies and organisations shows that the future of cycling in Zimbabwe is bright, and that we can and should move towards a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly transport solution.
On a more sombre note Road Safe Zimbabwe erected a ‘ghost bike’ in the Square attached to a Cycle Path sign. Other ‘ghost bikes’ will be installed around the City in the next few weeks where cyclist accidents have taken place. The idea is to make motorists more aware of cyclists and to behave in a more courteous and considerate way to other road users. It also highlights the need for better infrastructure, like dedicated and well-maintained cycle tracks to make cycling a more attractive and safe choice.
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