THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Edo command, has said that the public needs to embrace cycling to curb some health challenges such as High Blood Pressure, and high sugar level.
Mr. Henry Benamaisia, the State Sector Commander of the corps, gave the advice on Friday in Benin City at the event to commemorate the World Bicycle Day in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports from Benin City that the theme for the 2022 World Bicycle Day is ” Cycling for Earth and Humanity”
Benamaisia also said that the health benefits of cycling were enormous.
According to him, the importance of cycling is not just limited to the common man but to everybody
He said, “It can bring down your BP, and also your sugar level. This is because most of the issues we have around these two health challenges are due to lack of exercise.
“You see a situation where people are just used to entering their vehicles and they drive on. Then after some time, you find out that they cannot walk again.
“But with cycling, these issues can be drastically reduced.’’
The commander also said that cycling would help to reduce greenhouse emission which is one of the issues of concern all over the world at present.
He said that if many people take cycling as not just a sport, but also as a means of transportation, it would assist in sanitising the environment greatly.
“In some countries, especially the developed ones, cycling is especially meant for cyclists, and we in the road safety sector have taken it as one of our mode of transportation.
“You know that we have vehicles and among these vehicles, bicycle is one of the non-motorised vehicles.
“So, we on our own are trying as much as possible to engage the Cycling Federation of Nigeria and partner them on this day because of the benefits of cycling”, he said.
Benamaisia also said that with cycling in place, there would be no pollution of the environment.
“We encourage the public to embrace the use of bicycles because of the many merits inherent there,” he said.
The Deputy Governor of Edo, Mr Phillip Shaibu, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, said that the importance of riding bicycles could not be over emphasised.
The Deputy Governor represented by Orogo Bello, the coach of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria, Edo chapter, said that in days of old, bicycle was used as a means of transportation by our fore fathers.
He added that with the use of bicycle, the emission of carbon dioxide into the environment would be a thing of the past, but aid in the wellbeing of human.
By Deborah Coker