Summit 2002 Bicycles for World Leaders

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (August 2) - ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) will hand over 25 Dutch bicycles to Mayor Amos Masondo during the opening ceremony at Summit 2002 to be held at Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August - 4 September. During the summit the URBAN bike concept will be revealed to fight town congestion and promote the bike as a non-polluting, health improving and cheap transport mode. The 25 Dutch bicycles have been co-sponsored by Dutch bike manufacturer Accell Group and Shimano. Dutch organization Velomondial initiated an extraordinary project. Earlier Velomondial came with a Bicycle Refurbishing Initiative to ship used bikes from Europe, Japan and the USA to Africa through its subsidiary Afribike Netherlands foundation. Some 1,000 juvenile bikes were given to disadvantaged youngsters at Johannesburg. The special Batavus branded Dutch bicycles for the world leaders at the Summit 2002 conference in Johannesburg, are green coloured and equipped with Shimano components, such as roller brakes and 4-speed gears. Each bicycle has an unique large indicator number pressed on the frame to prevent bike-theft. After the Summit the bikes will be used by civil servants of the Johannesburg municipality in stead of motorized vehicles. (FN)