[1/5] Nayvis Dias, founder of Velo Cuba, shows eco-friendly bamboo bicycles at her office in Havana, Cuba, July 21, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre MeneghiniHAVANA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Among the classic cars, mopeds and rickshaws Cubans use to get around the capital city Havana, a new kind of ride is hitting the streets - bamboo bicycles made by a local workshop. Velo Cuba, a bike shop and tour company, produces the lightweight, eco-friendly options as part of a program funded by the Netherlands' embassy in the country. "There are 28 species of bamboo in Cuba," said Velo Cuba founder Nayvis Diaz. Transportation and steady employment are both chronic issues in Cuba, where the economy was hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Persons: Nayvis Dias, Alexandre Meneghini HAVANA, Nayvis Diaz, Yaquelin Gonzalez, Diaz, Mario Fuentes, Nelson Acosta, Kylie Madry, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Velo Cuba, REUTERS, Transportation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Velo Cuba, Netherlands, United States, China