Free Repair Stations for Bicycles were Established in İzmir

Life on a bike is now easier

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality took another step towards reducing motorized transportation and increasing bicycle and pedestrian transportation. For this purpose, many infrastructure, implementation and incentive projects have been implemented in İzmir; The bicycle paths surrounding the city are equipped with free repair and pump stations.

In this period when everyone, every institution and organization, from 7 to 70, is invited to act more responsibly due to global warming and climate crisis, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality is taking exemplary steps with its environmentally friendly projects. Many practices are being implemented, especially to increase bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Finally, 35 free repair stations and 50 bicycle pumps were placed on 76 kilometers of bicycle paths within the city. In addition, 400 hand/foot rests were installed at intersections with heavy traffic so that cyclists can easily wait.

Thanks to the small hand tools and pumps available at bicycle repair stations, cyclists will be able to fix minor malfunctions themselves; will be able to pump air into the tires of their vehicles.

Creating goals, awareness and habits
Özlem Taşkın Erten, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Department Bicycle-Pedestrian Access and Planning Branch Manager, said, “We consider the comfort of cyclists. “Our goal is to increase social awareness about bicycles as a sustainable means of transportation and, of course, to increase bicycle use,” he said. Noting that İzmir is the first city from Turkey to become a member of the European Cycling Route Network EuroVelo, Taşkın Erten stated that they are taking steps to increase cycling tourism. Stating that they took these steps by including non-governmental organizations in the decision-making processes, Erten concluded his words as follows:

1.5 percent after 10 years
“Apart from our infrastructure projects, we also have incentive projects to increase bicycle use. Our first target here is our children, who will be the adults of tomorrow. We are already implementing many projects that aim to initiate cycling among them and establish this habit. Because if a child goes to school on his bike today, he will go to work on his bike when he grows up. Our ultimate goal is to increase the bicycle usage rate, which is currently around 5 per thousand, to 1.5 percent after 10 years.”

---

News Source: https://www.izmir.bel.tr/tr/Haberler/izmir-de-bisikletler-icin-ucretsiz-tamir-istasyonlari-kuruldu/44502/156