Bengaluru: Hailing from a nation where bicycles are an everyday mode of transport, Jaap Veerman, the Consul-General of the Netherlands for South India, suggested that Bengaluru needs to start with smaller plans to build a cycling culture.While addressing the Mobility Symposium 2026 organised by Move In Sync Thursday, the envoy stated that a change in the active mobility scene should be brought in phases.The diplomat added a child reaching school or a commuter reaching a station on bicycles can be identified as a scenario to be solved initially. “Identify the obstacle, a difficult junction, a disconnected route or an uncontrollable street, or missing parking. Choose improvements that connect into a wider network and serve everyday destinations,” Veerman advised.Sharing a personal anecdote, Veerman revealed that he carries bicycles with him across countries during diplomatic postings: “This is actually the start of my fourth week living and working here in Bengaluru……my container is not even here (yet). In the container, there is my bicycle and my electric Vespa.”“I used my bicycle and Vespa in all the cities where I lived and worked. When we arrived here, my wife asked if I’d cycle here. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m not sure yet. I will let you know later,” he remarked with a soft chuckle.Calling on the city to move the Dutch way, the envoy emphasised that the shift to bicycles should take into consideration local conditions including climate, street use and transport habits, while learning from how people use the system.He stressed that the Dutch experience shows the importance of sustained improvement stating: Mobility planning influences how much street space is available for movement, greenery and everyday social life. “I believe that’s why Church street is so popular here,” Veerman added.During his keynote address, Veerman also revealed that Netherlands has 24 million bicycles which is in fact more than the number of private motor vehicles in Bengaluru. He also pointed out that Netherlands post-World War 2 had faced a similar crisis and had worked in unison to solve the traffic problem.
