The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), a lobby group of big businesses, asked its member companies to encourage employees to commute by bicycles as part of a campaign to conserve energy.
FKI is sending written requests asking companies to set up changing rooms, bicycle racks and issue license plates to minimize inconvenience for employees using bicycles and maximize their use among executives and other employees.
Daewoo Electronics factory in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, was cited as a good example in the FKI letter. About 400 bicycles are now registered as a sustained campaign started there in 2000. Workers not only use bicycles when coming to work but also for moving inside the premises, it said.
An FKI official said that bicycle commuting will not only help conserve energy but help employees get healthier. “By not using cars, we can save fuel expenses, reduce pollution and help ease rush-hour traffic,” he said.
