Biking course for international students in Groningen
Bruised knees, wounded chins and broken jaws. International students often have a hard time adapting to the Dutch means of transportation. The Erasmus Student Network gives a hand to the bicycle-illiterates.
Next academic year it will be the time to refresh your childhood memories and join the biking course offered for foreign students by the ESN in Groningen. Maarten de Ruijter from ESN said that many people showed interest in such a course and now ESN with the Foundation Bevordering Verkeerseducatie finally offer such a facility.
According to de Ruijter, many international students underestimate the Dutch traffic. They wrongly assume their priority, drive on the wrong side or sometimes simply fall off their bikes. “They often risk their lives,” says de Ruijter.
The image of a student joyously riding a bike with a basket full of groceries and flowers on the handlebars is a scam. The incident from last winter, when a Kazakh student was hit by a bus, proves that bikes can be very unsafe when ridden by inexperienced foreigners. “The students are offered a theory and a practice course,” says de Ruiter. If the course is a success, the concept can be introduced in other cities, reports the rtl.nl.
