OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan promotes health and environmental benefits of cycling
The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and the non-governmental organization Ecological Movement of Uzbekistan ran a national cycling event on the streets of Tashkent on 14 September 2014, raising awareness of the health and environmental benefits of getting on the bike.
The cycle ride attracted some 100 participants, including representatives of Uzbekistan’s parliament, ministries, civil society organizations, and foreign diplomats as well as young people and local celebrities. After completing the 10 kilometre bike ride through the city an open-air concert was held in Tashkent’s Botanical Garden.
“Bicycles are an effective alternative to a car,” said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator, Ambassador György Szabó. “The health benefits of cycling are indisputable. By cycling you burn calories, and more bikes on the road means less cars, which means cleaner, fresher and greener air for all.”
The OSCE provided several bicycles for the event, which Szabó together with the parliamentary Deputy Speaker Boriy Alikhanov later donated to a number of social organizations in Tashkent.
A roundtable discussion dedicated to promoting cycling as a form of environmentally-friendly urban transport will be hosted by the OSCE later in September.