OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan supports participation of local officials in International Cycling Congress with aim of enhancing sustainable urban mobility policies

The participation of a representative of the Tashkent city administration (Khokimiyat) and a representative of Uzbekistan’s cycling federation at the Fourth International Cycling Congress in St. Petersburg from 28 to 30 March 2019 was supported by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan. During the congress, they learnt about effective and sustainable mobility policies as well as international experiences in enhancing urban mobility.

The Fourth International Cycling Congress was organized by the Russian Ministry of Transport and the St. Petersburg City Municipality and supported by a number of international organizations and embassies. It was attended by some 150 people and speakers from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Romania.

Presentations during the congress covered issues such as current and future trends in urban mobility, providing a safe environment for non-motorized means of transport, and the economic aspects of developing a cycling culture. There were also site visits to urban bike-sharing stations, the St. Petersburg Centre for Transport Planning, and new cycle lanes built in the city in recent years.

“There are different views and opinions on why and how to use the bicycle,” said a representative of the Russian Ministry of Transport in his address to the congress participants. “For the health ministry - it would be a device for physical exercise and leading a healthy lifestyle; for the ministry of labour – a device for leisure time; for the ministry of trade - a technological commodity; and for the transport ministry: a separate mode of transport.”

The participation of the officials from Uzbekistan in the congress was organized under the Project Co-ordinator’s project this year on supporting the implementation of green economy policies in Uzbekistan, specifically, the efforts of the Tashkent city Khokimiyat to establish a cycling network and promote sustainable mobility policies.