Time running out to join 'Bike to Work' contest

Cyclists now have a less than a week left to team up and apply for the third annual 'Bike to Work' contest established by national cycling coordinator Peter Klučka from the Transport, Construction and Regional Development Ministry in cooperation with the Banská Bystrica-based NGO OCI BB. According to the ministry announcement on Tuesday, safety and the observance of road traffic rules is this year's campaign motif. "The relationship between cyclists and drivers on the road is often very tense. However, there is no difference between them at all. Everyone just wants to transport themselves from one point to another, for example from work to home", said Transport Minister Roman Brecely (Sieť). Therefore, drivers should pass cyclists carefully and keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres from them, said Brecely. In total there were 13,547 traffic accidents on Slovak roads last year, and 16 cyclists were killed - representing 6 percent of the total number of fatalities. "Cyclists and pedestrians are unprotected and thus the most vulnerable. Therefore, drivers should pay increased attention to them, especially when overtaking them", said the Police Corps Vice-President Ľubomír Ábel. The main goal of the 'Bike to Work' contest is to promote the development of non-motorised transport - chiefly bicycles - in towns and cities. Last year 2,870 people from 55 Slovak towns joined the contest in 916 teams. Those interested in joining the contest this year have until April 26 to apply for via the website dopracenabicykli.eu.