In Italy, bicycle sales have surpassed that of car sales. Last year, 1.75 million bicycles were sold in the country as compared to 1.748 million vehicles sold. This is the first occurrence since the Second World War.

Several factors could have contributed to this phenomenon. Firstly, the European debt crisis that resulted in job losses could have made some Italians turn to lower cost of transportation.

In addition, escalating fuel prices and high costs associated with maintaining a car could have affected car sales as well. Recently, petrol prices hit €2 (S$3.20) a litre and the average cost of car ownership is estimated to be around €7000 (S$11,210) per annum.

Driving in Italy could be a stressful affair due to the cramped streets in many Italian cities. Furthermore, Italy has one of the highest car ownership in the world – 6 out of 10 people own a car.

This combination has caused traffic congestion in many parts of Italy. President of the Italian Federation of Bike Lovers, Antonio Della Venezia, commented that people who have only ever driven cars are changing their thinking and he does not think that car sales in Italy will return to the level before 2008.

Cycling is good for both the human body and the environment. In addition, it is kinder on the wallet too as compared to driving!

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