Lockdown brings benefits of cycling to fore as World Bicycle Day marked amid pandemic

AMMAN — In celebration of a means of transport that has emerged as a tool of resilience and “acknowledging its uniqueness, longevity and versatility”, World Bicycle Day is being marked on June 3.

A bicycle is a means of fostering sustainable development, strengthening education — including physical education — for children and young people, promoting health, preventing disease, promoting mutual understanding and respect and facilitating social inclusion, according to the United Nations’ official website.

In Jordan, bicycles have made a more prominent appearance in the past few months as streets have witnessed an increase in the numbers of cyclists, especially during the early period of lockdown.

Batoul Wasfe, a Jordanian sports trainer, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday that during the pandemic, many people have turned to cycling, whether permanently or temporarily, which necessitates an adequate infrastructure for riding bikes. 

“This pandemic has changed Jordanians' lifestyles in many ways,” she said.

Many people have opted to cycle, some for the first time. Mai Badr, a Jordanian citizen who has ridden her bike four times since the beginning of the crisis, said that “many of the Kingdom’s bike shops that had been facing financial troubles before the pandemic began have been seeing larger sales during the COVID-19 crisis”.