Huffing and puffing in Mexico City

Mayor tells employees to get on their bikes

On the morning of 2 April, many Mexico City employees did something they’d never done before. Donning helmets and bright yellow vests, they cycled to their offices. Now all city employees are to be required to pedal to work on the first Monday of every month – unless they are disabled or live far from their work, in which case they can go by public transport.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard believes that getting officials on their bikes will set a good example of alternative transport to the city’s 18 million citizens. Not to mention reducing pollution and congestion… He himself regularly cycles the 18-minute journey from his home, and has publicly declared that anyone who doesn’t like the new requirement should leave his administration. If they’re worried about their personal security, he says, they can get bodyguards to escort them… by car. Something not quite right there, surely?

Currently only 0.7% of all commuter travel within Mexico City is by bicycle. Ebrard aims to provide incentives and infrastructure to increase that number to 2% by 2010 and 5% by 2013. It could be an uphill battle. – Whitney Kakos