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SEOUL: Bicycles are back in South Korea to help fight against congested roads and pollution.
The South Korean government is promoting bicycles as part of its green growth strategy.
Sohn Jae Kyung has been riding his bicycle to work for the last three years.
He said: "This form of transport is healthy and economically beneficial to me. I think there are many advantages to this."
It takes him one hour and 20 minutes to get to work on a bicycle, saving him about 20 minutes every day. It also saves him money.
Otherwise, he would have to fork out four million won (US$3,000) every month to pay for petrol, plus another two million won on parking fees.
Fewer cars on the streets mean less pollution, and that is why the South Korean government is encouraging people to go back to basics, and hop onto a bike to solve the city's traffic problems.
President Lee Myung bak has stressed the need to get more Koreans to ride bicycles, as part of his green growth strategy.
As an incentive, the government plans to introduce bicycle insurance, and build bike-only lanes on major roads.
A so-called "road diet" programme will see the number of lanes for cars reduced, to make way for bicycle paths.
A subway car for cyclists-only has also been proposed for the convenience and safety of riders.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se Hoon said: “We want to make sure cyclists can ride on the lanes without having to try and make their way through cars and the traffic.”
Currently, only about 1.2 per cent of South Koreans use bicycles as a means of transportation - compared to 14 per cent in Japan and 27 per cent in the Netherlands.
The government has given itself eight years to increase that number to 10 per cent of the population.
If it succeeds, South Korea will lead the way in promoting cycling as an environmentally-friendly means of transport.
- CNA/yt
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