Tuesday, 12th July 2011
East Dunbartonshire cycle co-op comes to Brussels
Members of a cycling organisation which has revolutionised travel to school in their part of Scotland were welcomed to Brussels today (Tuesday) on a trip organised by their MEP Struan Stevenson.
The group from the Bishopbriggs district of Glasgow was welcomed to the European Parliament by Mr Stevenson, Conservative MEP for Scotland, who also showed them the Brussels-wide scheme which allows people to rent bikes for short hops around the city.
Mr Stevenson said: "Cycling is clean, green and good for wellbeing - and my constituents here are leading the way to promote it in the UK."
East Dunbartonshire's Cycling Co-operative has been working for two years to get more young people cycling to school instead of making journeys in buses and cars that clog the roads.
In that time the proportion of local primary school children cycling to classes has risen from only three per cent to 19 per cent.
Co-director Mark Kiehlmann said: "That nearly equals European levels, and if that target can be reached it is estimated across Scotland the NHS could save two billion pounds in having to treat fewer illnesses.
He was accompanied on the Brussels trip by cycling trainer Donald MacDonald, healthy lifestyles activist Susan Murray and two young cyclists Andrew Ashworth, 16, and Conor Brady, 14, who is also a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament.
Andrew has helped spread the initiative from primary into secondary schools and said: "Teenagers don´t see cycling as uncool now. I'm involved in BMX which more and more young people are taking up. It's healthy and a great hobby.
Mr Stevenson said: "This initiative has done marvellous work in changing people's lifestyles for the better and making their corner of Scotland greener and healthier. So it is a pleasure to welcome them here to Brussels."
