Cycling

People these days do not choose cycling to travel even though cycling is one of the few forms of transport that does not damage the environment. In this essay, I will examine a number of reasons why cycling is becoming less popular and  suggest several ways to encourage people to cycle.

One main explanation for people losing interest in cycling is due to the need for a more efficient mode of travel. Given the fact that people do not want to spend too much time and effort while commuting, motor vehicles tend to be a more suitable and preferred choice. Another reason is that the majority of people are becoming less environmentally conscious and more concerned about their own interests. Many people, although fully aware of how beneficial cycling is to the environment, still choose to use other means of transport that are harmful to the surroundings but more convenient for their lives.

The authorities can attempt to promote the use of bicycles through a number of measures. Firstly, city councils can provide more cycling lanes throughout towns and cities so it will be safer and more convenient to travel by bicycle. In Amsterdam, for example, there is more space for cycling than for cars, which leads to a large proportion of the city’s population using bicycles as their main form of travel. Furthermore, levying higher taxes on other types of vehicles, together with raising social awareness of environmental protection, may help increase the likelihood of people turning to cycling.

In conclusion, most people tend to use motor vehicles instead of bicycles owing to the demand for efficient travel and the lack of environmental consciousness. The government is largely responsible for increasing the use of bicycles through the construction of more cycling zones and the imposition of heavier taxes on other forms of transport.

(304 words)

Vocabulary

• To encourage people to cycle
• Environmentally conscious (adj)
• To promote the use of bicycles
• Cycling lanes (n)
• To levy higher taxes on something
• To raise social awareness of environmental protection
• To increase the likelihood of people turning to cycling