[Wed, Nov 5 2008] Berlusconi meets BikeMi
Italian president Silvio Berlusconi tries out the new 'BikeMi' at the Internation Cycle and Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan.
On November 4th, Italian president Silvio Berlusconi inaugurated the 66th annual Eicma, International Cycle and Motorcycle Exhibition, held in Milan. Mayor Letizia Moratti proudly presented him to BikeMi, the city's brand new bike sharing system scheduled to open at the end of November. The first large Italian public bike program will start with a fleet of 1200 bicycles distributed over 103 bike stations located throughout the city centre with an average distance of 300 meters between the stations. The system is scheduled to gradually increase to 5000 bicycles. "This should be seen as an opportunity for all the citizens of Milan and the tourists who come to visit the city to use an economic and ecological mode of transport", said Moratti. The bikes are aimed to compliment the existing public transportation and hence have the same colour as busses and trams: dark yellow and cream. The Mayor also stressed the city's dedication to encourage cycling by increasing the amount of bike lanes throughout the city and making the city more bike-friendly.
"I like", president Berlusconi said, "the fact that in America you were given a 20$ pay rise if you would bike to work. Someone once mischievously suggested that if they were to offer a pay rise in Italy to everyone who would take the bike to commit adultery and come back home, there would be a notable increase of the bike use!" Laughingly Berlusconi added: "It was not I who said that, it was someone elses joke!
