Tuesday, 7 January 2014 - 04:31
Dutch wants to sell Cubans bikes
Cycling is seen as typically Dutch, despite Katie Melua's song year ago: There are 9 million bikes in Peking. Alejandra Ferrari wants that to change.
As a child the Dutch Alejandra Ferrari lived in Cuba for a while and is now a member of de trade delegation of minister Timmermans, the first Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs to pay the country an official visit.
cuban car
kayugee
Flickr Ferrari sees possibilities to sell bikes to Cubans, because of the poor public transportation system, according to her statement in a Radio1 Journaal. Cycling is also better for the environment. 'When we think of Cuba we often think about all those beautiful old cars from the fifties you see in abundance in Havana, but you don't want to ride your bike behind one of those cars.' In the nineties many Cubans were riding bikes. There was a big crisis and loads of bikes were handed out, but the supplies have since depleted. Whether it's safe to ride a bike on Cuba remains a question. There are barely any bike roads, but Ferrari remains optimistic. Ferrari is also positive about the developments in "her" Cuba. 'Much has changed over the past years. Nowadays people are no longer afraid to voice their opinion. More openness from other countries toward Cuba will encourage this development.' Minister Timmermans shares the vision. The Minister arrived Sunday and met with Cuban bloggers, documentary makers, and academics in Havana about the developments in the communist country.
kayugee
Flickr Ferrari sees possibilities to sell bikes to Cubans, because of the poor public transportation system, according to her statement in a Radio1 Journaal. Cycling is also better for the environment. 'When we think of Cuba we often think about all those beautiful old cars from the fifties you see in abundance in Havana, but you don't want to ride your bike behind one of those cars.' In the nineties many Cubans were riding bikes. There was a big crisis and loads of bikes were handed out, but the supplies have since depleted. Whether it's safe to ride a bike on Cuba remains a question. There are barely any bike roads, but Ferrari remains optimistic. Ferrari is also positive about the developments in "her" Cuba. 'Much has changed over the past years. Nowadays people are no longer afraid to voice their opinion. More openness from other countries toward Cuba will encourage this development.' Minister Timmermans shares the vision. The Minister arrived Sunday and met with Cuban bloggers, documentary makers, and academics in Havana about the developments in the communist country.
