The Lithuanian MFA has allowed its employees to ride bicycles to work meetings
Starting from June 5th, the ministry permits its staff to use official bicycles for work-related gatherings in Vilnius.
According to LRT news. Inga Cherniuk, the chancellor of the ministry, stated that some employees already commute to work on bicycles, and the ministry has a bicycle parking area. They aim to encourage other staff members to utilize a more convenient, environmentally friendly, and sometimes faster mode of transportation. This initiative not only protects the environment but also demonstrates that the diplomatic service is active, modern, and progressive.
The new official transportation method was first tested by Victoria Bilaite and Mindaugas Viskupaitis in Vilnius. They rode Lithuanian-made bicycles to attend a meeting of the European Union Commission at the State Chancellery of the Republic of Lithuania. Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs purchased 30 official bicycles for €16,200, with each bicycle costing €540.
According to Chancellor Inga Cherniuk, the bicycle procurement is part of the green diplomacy project implemented by the ministry for several years. This project involves various measures such as calculating CO2 emissions during business trips, digitizing and eliminating paper documents, and encouraging employees to switch to greener transportation options.
The purchased bicycles are adorned with Lithuanian symbols. Twenty-five out of the 30 bicycles were sent to diplomatic missions in Brussels, London, Astana, Amsterdam, Paris, Helsinki, Stockholm, and other cities.
In other news, on Thursday, June 8th, the Lithuanian Seimas approved amendments to the law on road safety, which introduce new requirements for electric scooters, including a possible ban on their use on sidewalks. Adomas Buzinskas, the head of the Vilnius Municipality administration, announced that starting from June 1st, electric scooters and bicycles will be prohibited from operating on three streets in the capital: Vilniaus, Saviciaus, and Pilies. Furthermore, bicycles will also be prohibited from these streets. In the central part of the city and on bridges, the maximum speed for electric scooters has been reduced to 12 km/h. Additionally, parking spaces for electric scooters will be designated, and only those areas will be allowed for parking such vehicles.