Reading Comprehension
GREEN PERSONAL TRANSPORT Richard Smith hadn’t ridden a bicycle for ten years when he decided to try London’s new bike sharing programme. He was sold on the idea when he got to work 20 minutes faster than usual. London is one of the many cities in the world where there are mass bike-sharing programmes. These programmes make large number of bicycles available for short trips in the city or on special scenic bike routes for tourists. The bicycles are picked up at docking stations at central points around the city and usually must be returned the same day. Riders use them for free or rent them for a small fee, depending on the programme in that city. In some bike-friendly European cities, green personal transport is a great success. More than 30% of the workers in Amsterdam and Copenhagen get to the office by bike. These programmes succeed in cities that build many bike lanes, pass laws that protect cyclists’ safety and spend money to encourage people to begin cycling instead of usi...