Motorcycles worldwide have greatly facilitated mass mobility, especially in continents such as Asia and Europe. On both continents, motorcycles and scooters make up the majority of cars on the road. However, road infrastructure in most parts of the world still favors cars or other four-wheeled vehicles. Barcelona in Spain aims to change that as it plans to transform its streets to better accommodate two-wheelers. To that end, instead of banning two-wheelers from city roads, as Paris has done, the Spanish city intends to redevelop parts of its road network to make motorcycle riding safer.
Moto Station reports that the Ajuntement de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council) has been assigned the task. The strategy includes a two-pronged approach. The first is how motorcyclists and car drivers ride and drive. The council aims to launch a training program using real examples and organize safe driving workshops for two- and four-wheeler users. Car drivers are primarily trained to watch out for other cars and large vehicles, but not motorcycles and bicycles in particular. The Barcelona City Council aims to change this through training programmes.
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The second phase of the strategy is to focus on technological innovation and help motorcyclists master new technologies. In addition, the program aims to identify accident hotspots. The council’s aim is to use the Urban Transport Lab to innovate new technologies and give drivers advance knowledge of accident-prone areas, changing weather and road conditions.
The move comes as Barcelona, like many other European cities, relies heavily on motorcycles for mass mobility. The report even claims that 33% of all registered cars in the city are two-wheelers.
First published date: December 27, 2022 at 14:33 PM CST
https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto/cars/how-to-make-roads-safer-for-motorcyclists-this-european-city-is-showing-the-way-41672125474674.html