Minister for Transport, the Hon Paul Balban, attended last week’s Velo-city world cycling summit in Leipzig, Germany. With the main theme of ‘Leading the Transition’, the conference promoted cycling as a sustainable and healthy means of transport.

Jointly hosted by the European Cyclists’ Federation, the City of Leipzig and Leipziger Messe, the conference spanned a full programme of lectures, panel discussions and networking opportunities. Minister Balban also attended the Mayor of Leipzig’s lunch event for public officials and signed the declaration to ‘make cycling a fully-fledged mode of transport for all’.

Minister for Transport, the Hon Paul Balban, said: ‘The annual Velo-city conference is one that is informative, inspiring and one that gives the opportunity to learn how other cities, large and small, have been evolving over the past year. It is a pleasure to meet city leaders, politicians and those working at the forefront of urban planning and sustainable mobility in cities throughout the world and catch up on previous conversations and the aspirations of others. The Velo-city conference is unique, where the bicycle is seen as alternative means of moving within cities and explores how best to create the necessary infrastructure to promote its uptake. It is important for cities not to reinvent the wheel and to learn from those ahead of them on this journey. A smart city is a human city.’