Eustaff-brevet från EU-parlamentets Michael Cramer som svettiga
cyklister ska vidarebefordra till tyska transportministern lyder så
här:
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Dear minister of transport,
Dear Mr. Stolpe,
I am happy that this letter could be transported to you completely by
Human Power.
It has made a long journey since it was fetched early on Friday here in
Strasbourg.
The original start of the relay was in Biel/Bienne in Switzerland. The
so-called
EUSTAFF (EUropaSTAFFel, meaning European relay (race)) has this year
been
organized for the fifth time now by the German Human Powered Vehicles
Association
HPV and was organized together with other European Human Powered
Vehicles
Associations, supported by the ECF (European Cyclists’ Federation) and
the ADFC
(German Association of everyday-bikers).
During the following stages, which were driven day and night and
independent of
weather conditions, it has been transported down the Rhine valley,
circumvented
the Ruhr in the North-West, crossed the Northern part of Germany and
finally,
after a last night ride through East Germany, arrived in Berlin.
Another route,
coming from Göteborg in Sweden via Copenhagen, met the main route in
Uelzen,
south of Hamburg.
All envolved teams of drivers want to achieve, by means of this letter,
that:
-Cyclists in Germany are granted more rights and security in road
traffic.
For example, the obligation to use cycle tracks should be replaced by a
right to use them, so that cyclists don\'t have to use dangerous tracks
anymore,
-A separated transport infrastructure is created,
-Quality criteria for long-distance cycle tracks can be suable,
-Any infrastructure of long-distance cycle trancks to be created can
still
be used at speeds exceeding 50 km/h = 30 mph, speeds easily achievable
by
Velomobiles in lowlands,
-Cyclists are given more and better possibilities to carry their
vehicles
along in public and border-crossings means of transportation, including
high-speed trains,
-The safety of bicycles in general is increased by means of appropriate
measures, e.g. by defining standards for the quality of lights and
brakes
and by verifying these,
-The development of new kinds of vehicles, like Velomobiles (fast, fully
faired Human Powered Vehicles) and recumbents, is promoted,
-Human Powered Mobility as a whole is rated higher in our society.
For this, there are many reasons:
-The attractiveness of bicycling has to be increased for reasons
connected
to environmental and health policy,
-A higher share of bicycling in transport relieves the streets and thus
helps to prevent, especially in cities, the construction of new means of
infrastructure,
-In urban areas, less motorized traffic equals to more quality of life,
-Less importation of oil mean more wealth for our country and more
health
for its citizen.
All participating cyclists are happy that this letter reached you in
good shape.
I want to thank you that you took the time and gave yourself the
trouble of
receiving this letter.
Yours truly,
Michael Cramer, Member of the European Parliament
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olaf