The first bicycle renting program has been organized in the Aristotelian University of Salonika. The program’s opening will be celebrated during the national bike ride taking place on Sunday 25^th of May at 17.30 in Salonika and 30 other cities of Greece.

Velib Paris © Image Source/Corbis

The program provides 60 bicycles for students, professors and university’s employees allowing them to move inside and outside the University. The pilot is part of the of the Integrated Environmental Management Program of Aristotelian University aiming reduction of the daily emissions greenhouse gases from the daily movements of the university’s community.

Such programs have been multiplying in European cities like in France (Paris with the Velib Program http://en.velib.paris.fr/). Bicycle renting services are really a success in European communities and help reducing the number of car in the cities, meaning reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and also of noise pollution. Let’s hope that we are just at the beginning in Greece and that we will have the chance to see more such initiatives in cities. Of course it should also increase the need of special bike lanes in the cities in order to ensure the security of bikers.

Source:

Website of the Aristotelian University ECO-AUTH http://eco.auth.gr/

Article at Skai.gr “Δωρεάν ποδήλατα για τους φοιτητές και καθηγητές του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου”, by Giorgos Keramitzoglou, http://www.skai.gr/news/environment/article/202642/dorean-podilata-gia-tous-foitites-kai-kathigites-tou-aristoteleiou-panepistimiou/?utm_source=rss_news_environment&utm_campaign=skai200905190000&utm_medium=rss

Velib in Paris website http://en.velib.paris.fr/