May 7, 2007, 19:23 GMT
Mexico City - Miss Universe - Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico - rode a bicycle through the streets of Mexico City on Monday, as part of a campaign by municipal authorities to discourage the use of cars.
Rivera, set to hand over the crown to her successor who is to be chosen May 28 at a ceremony in Mexico City, was accompanied on her tour by municipal Tourism Secretary Alejandra Barrales.
Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard and other city officials also resorted to pedaling to get to work on Monday. Many of them wore helmets, with some cycling through traffic alone and others in groups. Ebrard has asked his cabinet to cycle to work on the first Monday of each month since April.
Cycling is a risky sport in the Mexican capital and few people choose to practice it.
Former city mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador built some cycle lanes, but most of them remain empty during the week. The current network is 120 kilometres long, while city authorities plan to build a further 300 kilometres over the next six years, with financial assistance from the World Bank.
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