Cyclist makes a statement in Querétaro.
A protesting cyclist took a direct route when she found a car parked in a bike path in the historic center of Querétaro: she decided to walk straight over it.
In a video that has been viewed more than 12,300 times the female cyclist wearing a food delivery backpack carries her bike over the vehicle and stomps on the back window before jumping off the trunk. Fellow protesters can be heard shouting to drivers: “It’s a bike path, don’t you understand?”
The Union of Cyclists in Querétaro (UCIQ) organized the march on June 30 to demand safer conditions for bicycle riders, primarily to prevent further deaths on the road. During the march a UCIQ member was hit by a public bus.
The bold act of the female cyclist sparked debate on social media. “If the vehicle was obstructing the bike lane, which is only for cyclists … I support the cyclist,” wrote one user.
“These streets do not have enough space for a bike lane … [they] are not big enough to have cars, bikes, spaces to park and wide sidewalks,” argued another.
Una ciclista repartidora de DIDI pasó por encima de un vehículo, debido a que el automovilista no respetó la ciclovía en el centro histórico de #Querétaro; el auto resulto dañado. pic.twitter.com/sM9EMUzttL
— Qué Poca Madre (@QuePocaMadre_Mx) July 2, 2021
UCIQ member José Antonio Morán said a change in thinking was essential. “When there is a lack of road culture … and authorities stay silent and speeding, recklessness and non-compliance with traffic rules are not adequately sanctioned we fall into the chaos,” he said.
The city’s transportation director, Saúl Obregón, argued that authorities had worked to create a safe environment for cyclists. He said the municipality had invested more than 43 million pesos (US $2.15 million) to build 80,000 square meters of bike lanes and had spent 10 million pesos on over 8,000 street signs.
According to the news portal Infobae, Querétaro has seen 43 accidents so far this year involving drivers and cyclists, resulting in three deaths.
With reports from Infobae, ADN 40 and Radio Fórmula
