Credit: Pexels
Luxembourg’s Ministry of Mobility and Public Works has announced that the initiative “GoGo Vëlo” will soon replace the “Tour du Duerf” and “Mam Vëlo op d’Schaff oder an d’Schoul”(cycling to work or school) soft mobility initiatives.
The ministry noted that “Tour du Duerf” and “Mam Vëlo op d’Schaff oder an d’Schoul” were successful in the past and helped to mobilise the cycling community. The actions brought together thousands of cyclists from all backgrounds and promoted cycling as a daily means of transport. Likewise, these actions have contributed to raising awareness among the population of the importance of sustainable mobility and the reduction of CO2 emissions.
In recent years, bicycle use has increased considerably, with half of residents using it in 2023, the ministry added. Note that 80% of those who have used it expressed the desire to do so more often, while a third of those who have not yet used it also showed interest and wanted to do so. This development suggests that cycling, once a niche phenomenon, has now become a “mass phenomenon”, the ministry emphasised.
The first official edition of “GoGo Vëlo” will take off at the start of the 2024 school year, with the theme “An 42 Deeg ronderëm d’Welt”, an inspiration taken from the famous adventure novel “Around the World in 80 Days” by Jules Verne, offering a new era of opportunities to promote cycling mobility and consolidate the progress already made in promoting cycling as a mode of transport in daily life.
This unique initiative results from a collaboration between the Klima-Bündnis Lëtzebuerg, ProVelo.lu ASBL, and the support of the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works. Its main objective is to encourage the adoption of cycling as a means of everyday transport and to see how many times participants will be able to cover the circumference of the earth, namely 40,075 km, in six weeks.
“GoGo Vëlo” will be inspired by a well-known concept in Germany, the “Radbonus”. Thus, participants will record their kilometres travelled via an application and will be motivated by various challenges. They will also have the opportunity to report the state of cycling infrastructure via the application, thus contributing to their improvement. Various gifts and rewards will be offered for accomplished feats.
In this context, Luxembourg’s Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Yuriko Backes, stressed: “The new 'GoGo Vëlo' initiative will be much more than just a platform. It will embody the government's commitment to sustainable mobility. I am convinced that this action will pave the way for a thriving cycling culture in Luxembourg, where every kilometre cycled represents a step towards a more sustainable and friendly future.”
Full details on the new “GoGo Vëlo” campaign platform will be announced before the start of the summer holidays, according to the ministry.
