'Get on your bike' was the NI Roads Minister’s message to city commuters today, at the launch of the Bike2Work event.

Minister Conor Murphy, joined by Belfast Lord Mayor Tom Hartley, urged drivers to leave their cars at home, as part of the Travelwise Bike Week 2008.

Belfast was awash with cyclists, maximising the city’s cycle lanes and paths, to mark the event, which not only raises environmental issues but also highlights the physical benefits of exercise.

Mr Murphy’s involvement was especially poignant in light of increased fuel prices, being felt by drivers across the UK.

Workers from public and private organisations supported today’s event. Employees from Phoenix Gas, Queen’s University and the PSNI all met at the Gasworks site, then cycled to the Regional Development offices in the city centre for a healthy breakfast.

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Minister Murphy said: "It's important that everyone plays their part in helping to solve the growing congestion and pollution in our towns and cities. Cycling is a natural choice for many, it's free, it's healthy, it reduces the number of cars on our roads which in turn cuts down on the levels of exhaust emissions."

"I am committed to improving the cycle infrastructure in the north so more people might choose to travel by bike and not car. In under ten years Roads Service has provided over 700km of infrastructure including cycle lanes and tracks. DRD will be spending over £400,000 on further development of cycle routes in Belfast, Bangor, Lisburn and Carrick. With fuel costs soaring and the family purse not stretching as far as it used to cycling makes sense as it cuts down on unnecessary costs," added Mr. Murphy.

Belfast Mayor Tom Hartley, a keen cyclist himself, said: "With the increasing cost of fuel and rising carbon dioxide emissions in 2008, I would encourage both public and private sector organisation’s to consider how they can reduce the usage of their vehicles and encourage staff to embrace initiatives such as TravelWise NI’s Bike Week."

Travelwise Bike Week Co-ordinator Andy Bready, said: "The Travelwise team works with a wide range of private and public sector employers to encourage them to promote cycling in the workplace, for example, the DRD provide a pool-bike system at its Clarence Court headquarters which has been a tremendous success and indeed we are soon due to double our fleet of bicycles in order to meet increasing demand for this service."

(PR)