Accra, June 26, GNA - The Bamboo and Rattan Development Program under the President's Special Initiative Program (PSI) has introduced bamboo in the manufacture of bicycles for the rural communities.

The program is aimed at raising awareness on the use of bamboo and rattan as well as their benefits in poverty alleviation and socio-economic development of rural communities.

This was made known during an exposition on Tuesday organized by Forestry Service Division in collaboration with the Earth Institute (EI) at Columbia University in the United States on how to use bamboo in the manufacture bicycles in the country.

Three research scientists from the USA - Dr. David T. Ho, Dr. John Mutter and Dr Craig Calfee - are to spend 10 days in the country to demonstrate how to use bamboo in making a bicycle.

Dr. Ho said the project was sponsored by EI at the Columbia University called the "Cargo Bike", which was meant for farmers and the people living in the rural areas.

"The goal of this project is to help the sustainability of transportation in the Northern regions. This is because the main means of transportation for the people of the northern regions is the bike," he said.

Dr. Ho said the bicycle, made to carry 100 kilogram of load, was designed for farmers in the rural communities for sustainable transportation.

He said finance was the main problem facing the project, adding that there should be a fund that would take up two-thirds of the cost of production so that the local people could afford the product.

Dr. Mark Dadebo, National Coordinator of the Forestry Services Division, said it was the implementing agency of the project in training and educating the artisans and the people on the use of bamboo and rattan.

He said this was a collaboration between the Forestry Services Division and EI to increase the commercial use of bamboo as well as create employment opportunities for the youth.

Dr Dadebo said craftsmen who were known for the use of bamboo in furniture production were invited to wittiness the demonstration of the bamboo bicycle.