Local news Zagreb

31/05/2010
Launch event of pedelecs in Zagreb
This May was a very busy and successful month for the Zagreb PRESTO team. The pedelecs promotional campaign has been launched in collaboration with local dealership Magma, which temporarily imported pedelecs provided by ETRA for promotion activities in Zagreb. First, PRESTO and pedelecs were presented during "Zagreb Energy Week" from 10th to 16th May. On May 14th the local Bicycle Association Bicickl and the City of Zagreb made a presentation of pedelecs to the audience during the Greenergo Symposium on ecology of transport.

On May 15th pedelecs were presented to the general public at PRESTO booth in Zagreb's Main Square where promotional materials were handed over to the people.

Part of this campaign included use of pedelecs by prominent people in Zagreb. A wide range of professions took part, including the British Ambassador, Mr David Graeme Blunt - and the Embassy staff - who tested a pedelec for more than a week! Former Croatian water polo player Dubravko Šimenc, actress and TV presenter Iva Šulentić, famous singer and TV host Sanja Doležal, young actor Ivan Herceg, member of a rock-band Goran Martinjak, journalist Miroslav Ambruš-Kiš are also some of the people that will help pedelec become more visible. The Zagreb PRESTO team is very proud to have involved the rector of Zagreb University, Mr Aleksa Bjelišin in the pedelecs "try-out-day" and PRESTO promotion activities. Like other participants in the wider promotional campaign, prominent people were asked to fill in a questionnaire, with one addition: to write about their experiences during the week of using a pedelec.

11/11/2009
Presentation of PRESTO at Zagreb Forum
The Zagreb team promoted PRESTO at ZagrebForum on November 11 besides the CIVITAS ELAN initiatives where the city of Zagreb is a partner. 20 participants attended the event, "the presentation was very successful and got positive reactions for further networking and activities" - said Matija Vuger. Two more presentations for the public are being planned on December 9 and 16, both deal with public bicycle schemes and cycling through the city. The ZagrebForum is part of the Strategic Planning Office, it is an information point serving as a forum and constitutes a new challange for promotion of urban cycling.
Read more (in Croatian) on the local online news website at: http://www.vjesnik.hr/html/2009/11/12/Clanak.asp?r=zag&c=7 and the press article.

1/10/2009
Zagreb is getting ready as a cycling city
Zagreb has a long tradition in cycling, and in organizing cycling rallies. However, due to the city’s fast growth, many of its dwellers still lack appropriate attitude towards the everyday use of bicycles. The fact that the Lord Mayor of Zagreb is a fervent cyclist will hopefully provide the necessary political support to cycling. However, existing cycling infrastructure in the city, or lack of it, does not sufficiently encourage regular use of bicycles as daily mode of transport. Efforts have been made in recent years (with help from cycling organization) to increase the number and quality of cycling lanes, and to provide parking and storage possibilities. Also, sharing space with other users must be learned by all concerned. In the PRESTO project, Zagreb focuses on student groups and other young people to use bikes more frequently, because they will be trendsetters in the future.