Mangere bike fit is a community initiative supported by Mangere Community House and Auckland Transport to encourage Māori and Pasifika to use cycling as a preferred mode of transport. With its success, other communities are looking at setting up similar initiatives.
Mangere Bike Fit is getting Māori and Pasifika people out of cars and onto bikes.
Mangere Bike Fit, Teau Aiturau says, "It's all about getting our Māori and Pasifika people out on bikes, biking is awesome keeps you fit and healthy and you're also using it as transport, and having fun and it's free."
Led by the people, for the people, Mangere Bike Fit recognizes the importance of bike safety in the community.
Aiturau says, "We run an after school program we're here Monday to Fri from 3 to 6 in the evening or 7 they can just come down just register up and we teach you a bit of bike maintenance bike safety and that's how you earn your bike with a helmet and high visi."
With bike theft rates increasing in Auckland, Aiturau says that gifting them to those in need may help to alleviate the problem.
"They can come down here cause we also get bikes donated and we're just fixing them up then we're giving them to people who need a bike."
Aiturau also says that other community groups in and around Auckland are starting up similar community initiatives.