High-Level Bicycle Ride in Kampala: 30th September 2022

TEENS Uganda partnered with UN-Habitat, ITDP, FABIO and KCCA in hosting the Kampala High Level Bike Ride  30 September 2022.

Implementation of a cycle network plan, car free days and high-level bicycle rides are among some of the interventions and plans to improve the cycling culture in the city. In an effort to improve walking and cycling conditions, the city developed a walking and cycling pilot corridor along Namirembe road in 2019. The bike ride is one of the ways in which the city can review existing infrastructure and improve the designs going forward.

Greater awareness and acceptance of cycling as a sustainable mode of transport by government officials in Uganda is necessary to integrate cycling as an essential part of transport plans and investment decisions.

The bicycle ride is expected to enhance the understanding of cycling among the government officials, particularly with a view to the cyclists’ vulnerability on the roads and at intersections. Therefore, a high-level bicycle ride with public officials in Uganda is proposed to promote cycling as a sustainable mode of transport, direct policies and create an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of cycling in Kampala.

Objectives

Short term:

• To experience infrastructure challenges that everyday cyclists face and how to mitigate them.
• To promote cycling as an efficient mode of transport among politicians that are interested in contributing to socio-economic development of their country/ city.
• To identify government cycling champions.

Longer term:

• To ensure that cycling infrastructure is planned for and implemented along with other road infrastructure projects through mobility plans, policies, and investment decisions.
• To provide knowledge to government officials on safer street design for cycling.
• To provide guidance to city officials in planning for a future roll-out of urban cycling projects.