{"id":166505,"date":"2018-07-25T13:26:54","date_gmt":"2018-07-25T13:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=166505"},"modified":"2018-07-31T11:59:34","modified_gmt":"2018-07-31T11:59:34","slug":"fight-them-with-mockery-prague-citizens-inventive-protest-against-a-silly-bicycle-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2018\/07\/25\/fight-them-with-mockery-prague-citizens-inventive-protest-against-a-silly-bicycle-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"Fight them with Mockery: Prague Citizens\u2019 Inventive Protest Against a Silly Bicycle Ban"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were numerous articles circulating since March 2018 about one particularly irrational decision the city of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, issued concerning the use of two-wheeled vehicles within its centre. Due to the city\u2019s growing problem with swarms of Segway-wielding tourists, choking the narrow historical streets of downtown, a Segway ban took effect in 2016. Street-wise \u201cbusinessmen\u201d, being robbed of their touristic golden goose, decided to bypass the ban with motorized scooters, which are no less annoying and eye-sore than Segways and hoverboards but, for some reason, fall in the same transport category as plain bicycles. And yes, you guessed it right, another ban followed, this time (literally) driving out the scooters out of certain pedestrianized zones, alongside bicycles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Markings on the roads appeared overnight, showing a crossed-out bicycle and the numbers 10-17, indicating that bikes are prohibited from entering these particular routes between 10 AM and 5 PM. While the majority of European capitals tries to adjust its infrastructure to encourage more people to saddle up, Prague\u2019s decision obviously caught the attention of various, even abroad media. Just to put things into perspective, only 1 per cent of daily journeys are being made by bike in Prague compared to more than 40 per cent in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

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Old\u0159ich Lomeck\u00fd, mayor of the Prague 1 area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe are not against cyclists, but the problem is space,\u201d Old\u0159ich Lomeck\u00fd, mayor of the Prague 1 area in the centre of the city, commented on the matter. \u201cIn a pedestrian zone, the advantage should be for pedestrians, not cyclists. Every day there is conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. This is the core of the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

While pedestrian safety is a crucial thing to address, funnily enough, the approximately 1,000 cars, passing through these areas daily, alongside ridiculous cumbersome \u201cbeer-bikes\u201d, which are basically mobile bicycle beer gardens operated by multiple people, are still allowed to roam free within the ban zones.<\/p>\n

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facebook.com\/zewlakkaktivistckefoto\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cData shows there were 21 pedestrians hit by cars over the past 10 years, and only three involved in accidents with bicycles,\u201d said Vratislav Filler of the Czech pro-cycling initiative Auto*Mat<\/a>, pointing out that the city has 900 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants \u2013 more than double the ratio of some comparable western European cities. The decision was publicly criticised by multiple city officials, administrating Prague\u2019s quarters outside the effect of the ban, one even going as far as calling it \u201cstupid\u201d. When asked about why the ban has to include non-motorized bicycles as well, councillors were heard claiming that police are unable to tell the difference.<\/p>\n

But it wouldn\u2019t be like Czech cycling activists to leave matters only to vocal criticism. Someone, somewhere, saw the stencilled ban markings on the ground and the famed light bulb appeared over their head. \u201cOh, that can only mean one thing! Finally, it\u2019s time to take my crossed-out bike for a ride!\u201d And that\u2019s exactly what happened last week on July 19. Through a Facebook event, cyclists of Prague were called to action to express their disagreement with the awkward ban by holding a \u201cCrossed-Out Bicycle Race\u201d through the downtown streets.<\/p>\n

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facebook.com\/zewlakkaktivistckefoto\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n