Skopje, 17 December 2024 (MIA) — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, joined by the ministry's urban planning and road traffic experts, met with Be Green civil association representatives for talks on improving the nation's bicycle infrastructure through new regulations.

According to a Ministry of Transport press release, Be Green had submitted an initiative for drafting new regulations on planning and designing bicycle lanes in and outside urban areas. 

Meeting participants confirmed the existing bicycle infrastructure was insufficient to ensure the safety of bicyclists in traffic. More bike lanes, they agreed, would also encourage commuter cycling and help reduce air pollution.

Welcoming the initiative, Deputy PM Nikoloski said the Ministry of Transport was ready to develop new norms and standards together with civil society so cycling infrastructure would be planned and built better in the future.

Nikoloski also said the ministry would subsidize the purchase of new bicycles in 2025 as an incentive for people to drive less and ride bikes more as one way of reducing air pollution and protecting the environment.

Pointing out that EUR 250 million would be earmarked for local infrastructure projects in 2025, the transport minister urged all municipalities to apply for funding of their new bike lane construction projects.

This, he said, would improve the quality of bicycle infrastructure at the municipal level and encourage the use of bicycles in urban areas.

In the coming period, according to the release, the transport ministry's urban planning and road traffic experts will work together with Be Green representatives on creating new regulations on planning, designing, building and maintaining the country's bicycle network. mr/