Papadopoulos – Kos can become the island of bicycles

“In Kos there are 6.5 thousand bicycles for rent and this is the comparative advantage of the island, as concerns the issue of cycling tourism”, stressed the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, in charge of Transport, Michalis Papadopoulos, speaking at an event of the Municipality of Kos on the presentation of a study for the development of cycling tourism.

Among other things, he noted the following:

“The culture in favor of cycling and micro-mobility is the infrastructure on which the further development of this activity can be built.

At the same time, we are experiencing a climate crisis and the use of mild means of transport is one of the ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector.

In many parts of Europe, such as Scandinavia, which has a long friendship with the Dodecanese, there is a trend towards green tourism. The visitor, that is, chooses to travel by environmentally friendly means, but also to reach a destination that will give him the feeling that he respects the environment. “Kos can offer all this using bicycles.”

National Coordination Center for EuroVelo in Greece

Mr. Papadopoulos reminded that recently, in collaboration with the Deputy Minister of Tourism Mrs. Sofia Zacharaki, the creation of a National Coordination Center for EuroVelo in Greece was approved, with the aim of promoting cycling tourism.

In this regard, Mr. Papadopoulos stressed:

“Greece currently runs three European cycling routes and our ambition is to include Kos in the Eurovelo network, as it meets all the conditions: flat terrain, many roads with low speed limit and traffic load and above all, the special interest of many routes. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has the will to offer know-how and support in this effort so that Kos becomes the island of the bicycle.

I have expressed the same will for my own homeland, Western Macedonia, which is also suitable for the use of bicycles, with similar characteristics: the plains of Ptolemaida, the idyllic lakeside area of ​​Lake Polyphytos and the beauties of Kozani “.

A study for Kos

The study for the development of the bicycle in Kos included specific proposals that mainly concerned: the promotion of the existing cycling infrastructures of the island, their organization in marked routes and their expansion, the creation of dirt routes for the promotion of mountain cycling, as well as the creation of suburban routes in order to subsequently join Eurovelo. The need to draw up a plan to promote this tourism product in Greece and abroad was also stressed.

Mr. Papadopoulos added, finally, that the support of tourism services is an area that supports the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in many ways and synergies with the Local Government and the Professional Bodies.

He cited as an example the amendment introduced to the law on the new framework for driving license examinations, which makes the South Aegean Region the first in Greece to allow the right to register 7-seater – 9-seater taxis, in order to pilot its operation.