Giving new life to abandoned bicycles

Kagawa Prefecture has the third highest level of bicycle ownership in Japan, with 1.6 people for each bicycle. Bicycles have become a major means of transportation for commuting to workplaces and schools.

Takamatsu City, the capital of Kagawa Prefecture, started to work with 29 local bicycle shops to put abandoned bicycles that would otherwise end up as scrap back into use. The city supplies abandoned bicycles to the participating local shops for 1,000 yen per bicycle. The shops refurbish the bicycles to ensure they are safe to ride, and then sell them for the price up to 8,000 yen.

The refurbished bicycles sell very well and are gaining in popularity.



Posted: 2002/08/04 06:03:51 PM
Japanese version