The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayelsa Command, has advised Nigerians to readopt the use of bicycle as a means of transportation because of its numerous benefits.
The Bayelsa Sector Commander, Mr Usman Ibrahim, gave the advice during the awareness ride to commemorate the World Bicycle Day in Yenagoa on Saturday.
Represented by Oiwoja Alagoa, Deputy Corps Commander, Usman said that bicycle transport was cheaper and healthy for physical wellbeing of the human body.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a team of cyclists comprising officers of the Corps, NYSC, and professionals participated during the awareness ride.
He said it was time to re-adopt the transportation system that had assisted human civilisation for ages.
The Commander said countries like Denmark, China, Poland, all used bicycles a lot, as the parts of the body were put to use and to burn energy that would have stored in the body.
“Also the atmosphere is preserved, it does not emmit or pollute the atmosphere, causes less congestion on the road.
According to him, apart from being cheaper than motor vehicles to acquire, bicycle is cheap to maintain and healthier for physical wellbeing of man and his environment.
Ibrahim said it was due to the overwhelming benefits of bicycles that the United Nations met in 2017 and declared June 3 of every year as World Bicycle Day.
“Advanced countries have readopted bicycle transportation system as a matter of public health wellbeing and control of greenhouse effects of carbon emissions.
“We want our people to come back to the basics, cycling is good for the body, environment and it is economical to maintain.
“That is why we are raising the awareness again and calling on the Bayelsa Government to join us in this campaign to revive the culture of using bicycle as a means of transportation,” he said.
Mr Gift Owei, a member, Association of Bicycle Riders, said that cycling helped in the free flow of blood to the heart to aid good function.
He added that it strengthened the lungs and the muscles while inhaling of good air helped to improve posture.
Owei also said that cycling helped the stamina in the body, as peddling reduced arthritis in various joints and all parts of the body.
