Bicycles, new mode of transport in the curfew era

AMMAN — The prohibition of using cars for grocery shopping and other essential needs has made citizens in the Kingdom turn to a new mode of transportation: bicycles.

With the government instructing citizens to move only by foot, citizens are reported using bicycles to reach grocery shops and pharmacies, as well as for exercise.

“I cycled all the way from Al Rasheed to Deir Ghbar to buy the tortilla chips I love. Two hours definitely well spent!” said Hisham Masri, a student at the University of Jordan, on Twitter.

Citizens also posted photos riding along the empty highways with their shopping bags in the bicycle’s basket.

Zumba instructor Jawhara Omari asked her followers to stay home and captioned a photo of her on a bike: “No car? No problem!”

Personal trainer Maya Abdullah, who has more than 132,000 followers on Instagram, posted a photo of a bicycle that was gifted to her, urging citizens to start using their own bicycles as a form of exercise.

Advertisements for ordering a bike and offers on bicycles have also surged on social media, according to a statement by the representative of the home and office furniture sector in the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Khaled Habnaka.

Habnaka, responsible for the bicycle and children's toys sector, said that the epidemiological committee recommended that the sector’s stores be reopened as of Sunday.

He added: “Unfortunately, Jordan's stock of bicycles for adults is not huge, and the great demand for bikes has led to a rise in prices lately.”