The Hanze Student Association wants the University of Groningen and the Hanze University, together with the municipality, to start offering cycling lessons to new international students.
“Many incoming international students have never been on a bicycle before, and others have never even seen a bicycle before they come to Groningen. If cycling suddenly becomes the norm, it is better to explain it briefly”, says HSV fraction secretary Marc Lonsain.
Lonsain also points out that foreign students, unlike their Dutch classmates, do not get free access to public transportation. This makes cycling their main mode of transportation, and a crash course offered by the RUG, the Hanze University and the municipality could raise awareness about proper cycling conduct on Groningen’s busy streets, which will ensure a safer situation for all road users.
According to the HSV, there is a growing number of reports about international students cycling on motorways and other dangerous bike behaviour, especially at the start of the academic year. “Lack of knowledge about traffic rules, poor driving skills and the creation of dangerous situations are frequently heard complaints about inexperience participants in Groningen’s bicycle traffic”, says Lonsain.
Photo source: PatrickDeGroot/ Pixabay
