No extra bike vouchers from Bucharest City Hall just yet

The Bucharest City Hall will not grant more vouchers for bike purchases, as the project under which the Municipality would have given 25,000 more such tickets was rejected during the City Council’s meeting on Wednesday, August 30. However, the Bucharest City Hall announced after the vote that it maintains its decision to supplement the number of vouchers, and will introduce the project once again on the City Council’s agenda. Mayor Gabriela Firea said that the councilors representing the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) support this project, but that the other councilors from opposition parties Save Romania Union (USR), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Popular Movement Party (PMP) blocked the initiative for the moment. “I am convinced that at the next meeting, when we’ll have a 100% presence, the project will pass the vote even if the opposition parties will unite their forces again, as they have done today. I regret that the 25,000 people who have requested these vouchers will have to wait, but probably the ladies and gentlemen of the USR, PNL and PMP will offer convincing explanations for blocking the project for the time being,” the mayor said. The City Hall launched the “Cyclists in Bucharest” program last month, planning to give 5,000 vouchers worth RON 500 each, which people can use to buy bikes. However, some 30,000 people submitted requests for vouchers. Thus, the Municipality announced that it considers increasing the number of vouchers for bike acquisitions. Some have criticized the City Hall’s decision to increase the number of vouchers. They said that Bucharest has no bike lanes and that the money could be used to create proper infrastructure for biking. Where to buy bikes with vouchers from Bucharest City Hall Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com