Interview with Mieczyslaw Goy in Grodno, Belarus on 9 August 2016

Duration: 11min

Kloss: How do you get people on bikes in Grodno?

Goy: We try to encourage people to use bicycles. Next week I will discuss with the road police and activists the bicycle infrastructure and how to improve it. We are looking to good examples in Poland like Białystok. We are doing small steps in Grodno, but we try to work with Polish and Lithuanian partners to create bicycle paths.

Kloss: Do you have goals, strategies or plans for bicycle infrastructure?

Goy: With the activists we are discussing about this. I understand that it doesn’t need much money to create bicycle infrastructure, it only needs my decision as mayor and the support of local people. And it is my wish, we have the support of local people and dedicated money, so everything will change.

Gruszyk: Is it a national law that it is not allowed to cycle on the road?

Goy: We can’t change this law because it is on national level.

Kloss: Do you try to reduce the number of cars with f.i. parking fees or reducing parking lots?

Goy: The government thinks about it. It’s a really big question for Grodno. Especially because there is the old town and there are no big streets for cars. We try to encourage people to use cars less. Grodno chooses this way to demand a fee for parking, we have one such parking where you have to pay. We have the dream to use electric transport, we have trolley busses. This year we opened trolley bus roads in Grodno. The government tries to increase electric transport.