Why Biking Should Be Encouraged?

With the unpredictable increase in the prices of gasoline, alternative methods of transport have to be encouraged and explored. And one of this is biking.  Aside from being an effective tool to combat the sudden increases in gasoline prices, biking is an environment friendly and good for the health mode of transportation.

While traveling along a major highway, I often see a lot of office workers going to work on a bike. I see a lot of them all geared up and apparently risking their lives amidst the notorious traffic and polluted highways. Yet, despite all the risks, I think the idea of using a bicycle to work is practical and should be encouraged by the government.

I was able to talk to someone who rides a bike from his residence to his office.  During our conversation, he impressed me that biking gives that sort of freedom and mobility. He explains that traveling along the road on a bike gives an exhilarating experience that cannot be experienced while you drive a car or commute to work. Biking he says gives that feeling of independence and total control. He was quick to add however that one drawback in biking is safety.  There are limited bike paths or none at all in some of our major highways.

As a country dependent on foreign oil, I think the government should create more bicycle lanes to encourage biking.  Bicycle lanes assure the safety of bikers. In UP Diliman in Quezon City there are bike lanes shared by both bikers and runners.  With these bike paths, bikers are protected from being plowed or thrown out of the path by passing vehicles.

Why biking should be encouraged?

1. Biking is the answer to increases in gasoline prices

Gasoline increases are unpredictable. After a few weeks of euphoria about a reduction in prices, an increase in gasoline prices is suddenly on the news the next day.  In a country that is dependent on foreign oil, biking is an instant and effective remedy against these notorious price increases.

2. Biking is an environment friendly form of a legitimate mode of transport

Imagine if just half of the cars on the highway have transformed into bikes,  that would mean (a) an instant solution to the the unsolvable traffic situation and (b) a reduction of at least fifty percent of all the toxic fumes on Earth.

3. Biking reduces the need for parking space

Government and private offices allocate several square meters of parking space. In some companies the battle for a parking space is sometimes the cause of disagreement among employees. Since several bikes can occupy a parking space of one vehicle, the problem of inadequate parking space in an office is drastically reduced.

4. Biking is good for the health

Several studies have shown that biking has several health benefits. Among others, it is said that biking strengthens the immune system against fatal diseases.  

5. Biking is a great form of exercise

Compared to running, biking is one form of exercise that does not give the joints too much strain. In running, all your weight falls on your knees and feet. In biking, there is less stress and strain in your joints making biking an activity that can be enjoyed by everyone in all age groups. Biking is also a great way to burn calories and get a well-toned body.

6. Biking helps to reduce stress

Start riding a bike, feel the freedom and as the wind starts to kiss your cheeks, your stress seemed to have disappeared in an instant.  With biking, it is easy to feel that you got total control and forget all the problems hounding you in your work and personal life.