SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER | 18 September, 2011 01:06

Not content with being one of South Africa's top holiday destinations, Durban also wants to be the best city for cyclists.

The city is splashing out R15-million on new bicycle lanes.

And city bosses say that more money will be poured into extra lanes before the start of the 17th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17) in November.

More than 20 000 international delegates are due to attend the conference from November 28 to December 9, in the middle of Durban's hot and humid summer, to assess progress on climate change.
The city council's speaker, Logie Naidoo, said Durban would challenge delegates to ditch cars and use bicycles.

The lanes would link the Durban International Convention Centre and tourist attractions.
"It does not make sense to host an environmental conference and have thousands of delegates in buses and taxis," he said.

The city had ordered more than 2000 bicycles for delegates.

The central government would supply 500 bicycles and the city was approaching hotels in Durban to provide the rest.

"No other city has done this before," said Naidoo.

Department of Environmental Affairs spokesman Albi Modise said the aim with the bicycles was to raise public awareness on carbon emissions.

Carlos Esteves, deputy head of the city's road system management, said the first phase of the cycle plan would cost about R15-million.

The 2000 bicycles would be donated to legacy projects after the conference.