Bicycle day in Torrevieja

Fun for kids of all ages was the order of the day on Saturday morning, June 12 when 200 or more cyclists took to the streets of Torrevieja on a short 2.5 kilometre fun ride around the town centre.

The Dia de la bicicleta has been a long-standing feature on the city’s event calendar and although this year’s ride was a week later than usual, there was a good turn out to cycle through the streets with a police escort. At the end of ride, the Councillor for Sports, Daniel Plaza gave out a selection of sports prizes which included footballs, handballs, basketballs, baseball caps, backpacks, tennis racquets and for two very lucky boys, brand new bikes.

On such a short run, the main issue with many of the cyclists is that the pace is too slow, allowing the bikes to bunch up and causing small accidents as bikes run into the back of one another plus a few problems caused by local metal drain patterns, which captured a few front wheels! Other than this, the ride went without incident and all had a fun time.

The event is well supported by families and members of local cycling clubs, with some children as young as five cycling on their own, while other rode tandem with their parents.  However there was comment among some after the event about the total lack of any safe cycling paths within the city centre and how they would cycle much more themselves and with their children, if such a system existed! Although the council have said that paths shall be introduced along with some new road schemes, this has yet to happen. Except for areas on the outskirts of the city, cyclists still have to dodge normal traffic, hazardously double parked cars and trucks, navigate some very awkward and dangerous speed bumps and stay off the pavements and walking areas.

It’s hoped that Torrevieja will make good choices of cycle lanes to encourage more cycling around the city centre, thus cutting down on parking problems, traffic congestion and pollution, all good things to help improve tourism and ‘green’ awareness within the city.

Keith Nicol




 

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