A revolutionary group activity took place in Tripoli on November 30 with the aim of raising awareness on the benefits of replacing vehicles with bikes. Cyclists protested against the fuel crisis in Lebanon and their message was: “Ditch the car, get a bike and free yourself from the chains of the fuel mafias.”
This bikers’ protest invaded the city of Tripoli while riders stopped at the city’s main gas stations. This movement was called Bicycles Revolt. The ad stated that everyone who approves that people shouldn’t be hostages and servants to cars and gasoline and who want a better future for themselves and their city should participate.
Of course, all participants were fans and supporters of this method of transportation. They all brought their own bikes and banners that expressed their point of view on this specific campaign. People lifted banners that have quotes like ‘save gasoline, buy a bike’, ‘the time is now’, ‘leave it wherever it stops running’, ‘save the environment’, etc.
Bikers have had an obvious presence in Lebanon’s revolution and made their statements several times throughout this period.
BuyCycle, for example, has recently figured out a way to remain eco-friendly while trying to help people in the current crisis. It is currently offering parents a free bicycle ‘delivery’ service for the children to make sure they make it to school on time.
Pkus is another Lebanese cycling group organizing “Tour of Lebanon” by bike, and they cycled all the way from Beirut to Tripoli a few days ago to show support to their fellow protesters. They carried a Lebanese flag signed by all Lebanese cyclists.
The fuel crisis isn’t very recent in Lebanon. It has been happening since before the protests began. But recently, the problem has progressed, affecting further the Lebanese people and owners of gas stations.
Gasoline in specific is an essential material for almost everybody since we rely significantly on it to commute. When we run out of it, we get affected in our careers or studies, personal life, and even health. So it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to have a good and efficient replacement.
Bicycles are indeed a great investment and, at times like this, they can be every Lebanese person’s best buddy. They are an easy, healthy and smart purchase, with an insignificant cost for its upkeeping.
They last long, they are affordable, they only require air to run, they are a good exercise, they are easy to park, and they can smoothly get you through Lebanon’s traffic.
But, most importantly, with so many worries everyone in Lebanon has, a person who isn’t dependent on a car will have one less burden AND they are eco-friendly. This is for you decide: are you willing to ditch your car to have a little peace of mind in return?
