The Fight Continues for La Ciclovía de la Septima!

Save La Ciclovía! cries Yolanda.

Today, Bogotá's annual Day of the Bicycle, a crack team of defenders of La Ciclovía de la Septima gathered thousands of signatures in support of the most important section of Bogotá's Ciclovía.

Just about everyone we talked to gave enthusiastic support - that's no surprise: After all, La Ciclovia provides wholesome, healthy, fun, and above all FREE recreation for all Bogotanos. La Ciclovía has also given worldwide fame to Colombia's capital. La Ciclovía also generates thousands of jobs for vendors, musicians and bike repair people. And experts say that each peso invested by the city in La Ciclovía pays back much more in public health and quality of life. So it's sad that in recent years sections have been chopped off of La Ciclovía, mostly for Transmilenio expansions. It will be downright tragic if La Septima, La Ciclovía's most important section, goes too. 

Yolanda, for her energy and optimism, Angelica, for her charisma and dedication, Aristobulo for his ability to get things done, Juan Sebastian for moving gears and levers in city government, the folks at Mejor en Bici and La Ciclovía Se Respeta and many others all deserve Bogotá's gratitude for their efforts to defend one of the city's greatest institutions.  
By Mike Ceaser of Bogotá Bike Tours

Aristobulo, Angelica, Yolanda and others.

A few of the thousands of Ciclovía riders.

Green Man speaks out for La Ciclovía

Kids sign for La Ciclovía

Juan, of Bogotá Bike Tours, for La Ciclovía

Even Parchita turned out for La Ciclovía

And what about Bicitaxis?

How about a form of transportation which is clean, generates little congestion, and can even be a tourist attraction? 

Sounds ideal. But Bogotá's response is: Don't allow them!

Thousands of bicitaxis, or bike taxis, operate in Bogotá, carrying people for short distances, often near Transmilenio stations. Unfortunately, they're not recognized by the vehicle code, and are therefore illegal. Still, in many neighborhoods, the police have tolerated the bicitaxis and let them work. But a new version of the Transit Code would reportedly ban the bicitaxis completely.

As it is, the bicitaxi operators, who are generally poor people and often displaced victims of Colombia's violence, often get hassled by police and sometimes their vehicles are even impounded. The bicitaxi operators have protested many times, demanding that the vehicle code be amended to recognize their vehicles, but without luck. 

Unfortunately, pedal taxi operators don't have powerful allies, while their enemies, the regular taxi drivers, do. It's long been a general suspicion that the organizations of regular taxi drivers have blocked the bicitaxis' legalization.  

Perhaps some sane politician will choose public interest over politics and take a stand for these humble, hard-working people who are providing such a good service.