Dear Editor,
After visiting Vilamoura over the weekend, I am very happy to see that one municipality in the Algarve has finally had the initiative to introduce a public bicycle sharing system in their town.
For many years I have visited popular destinations such as Seville and Amsterdam (to name a couple), and many have very well established bike sharing networks. As a permanent resident of the Algarve, I have always wondered why such a system had not yet been implemented here, where the climate and terrain are both so ideal for biking.
The public bike outlets allow residents and tourists alike to simply pay a non-expensive fee for the daily rental of a bike (times may vary depending on the location), and then enjoy the freedom of riding around the city, where they want for as long as they want.
It is such an eco-friendly and healthy idea, and I personally have always enjoyed cycling and exploring new places – instead of relying on countless taxis, which rack up ridiculous travel costs and create unnecessary pollution.
I understand that in order to make this type of initiative a success here, many municipalities would have to create biking lanes in addition to the creation of unique biking networks. However, I really believe such a system would not only be great for residents but an attractive activity and taxi-alternative to tourists.
As the Algarve Resident reported last week, the Vilamoura system has already become a success. So if they can do it, why can’t the rest of the Algarve?
STEPHANIE WRIGHT, by email
