New Zealand cities strive to be cycle-friendly

Major New Zealand cities are striving to be cycle-friendly aiming to encourage cycling as an everyday travel choice, Transport Minister Simon Bridges said on Thursday.

Current investigations into cycle-share schemes in both Auckland and Christchurch show the increasingly significant contribution cycling is now making to the country's transport system, Bridges said.

"We now live in a world where technology is creating new ways to connect customers and service providers. These technologies have also opened the doors to new ways of solving some of our long-standing transport challenges, with e-bikes already becoming part of the solution for cities around New Zealand," Xinhua news agency quoted the minister as saying.

"Cycle share schemes are an important part of the transport system in more than 700 cities internationally, and they hold real promise here," Bridges said.

Cycling infrastructure and initiatives have been seen across New Zealand, with Bridges on Thursday marking the halfway point for the government's 333 million New Zealand dollars ($230 million) Urban Cycleways Programme (UCP).

"The UCP is making a real difference to cycling in the regions all across New Zealand," Bridges said, adding that the opening of the Barrington to Moorhouse section of the Little River Link cycleway in Christchurch marks the UCP's halfway point.

--IANS

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