Cycle for your health, and that of Bangalore

BANGALORE - With the choked roads of India’s silicon hub testing the nerves of motorists and polluting the air, a group of residents is urging Bangaloreans to take to cycling in a big way.

“We want to make cycles a popular mode of transport,” proclaims The Ride A Cycle Foundation (RACF).

“Our main aim is to create awareness among the city’s denizens about the virtues of using cycles as a mode of transport,” Ravi Ranjan Kumar, managing trustee of the foundation, told IANS.

Cycling would not only improve the health of the cyclists but would also cut down air pollution, experts say.

A not-for-profit advocacy organisation, the foundation, set up Nov 18, 2008, periodically organises cycling events.

Some of the successful events organised by the foundation till date are “Tour of Nilgiris 2008″, a seven-day, 919 km ride to the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu through Karnataka and Kerala; Bangalore Cycling Workshop and BSA Hercules Duathlon 2009.

As part of its drive, the foundation recently donated 12 bicycles to students of Bangalore’s Deeksha pre-university college.

“We want to make Bangaloreans realise the value of cycling and thereby make them understand the need of an uncontaminated environment. By practising cycling religiously, people will maintain a healthy lifestyle also,” said Sharath Raju, secretary of the foundation.

To encourage techies to pedal, the foundation plans to provide cycles on rent.

“The foundation is seeking funds for a project that will allow employees of IT and IT-enabled services, who get off buses at the HP entrance or the Infosys gate of Electronic City, to continue their journey to office on a bike,” said Raju.

The plan is to introduce 500 cycles initially, and then expand the numbers depending on the response.

The main grouse of cyclists across the city is that riding a bicycle on Bangalore’s busy roads is difficult and dangerous.

“But if dedicated cycling lanes are provided, many enthusiasts may be ready to use them. Dedicated lanes will ensure safer journey for the cyclists,” said Raju.

The foundation has already sent a memorandum to the city’s administration to make cycling lanes mandatory in the city. “We hope our request will be attended soon,” added Raju.

Cycles constitute 15 percent of the traffic on Bangalore roads.

According to figures available with Bangalore Police, the city of seven million has 3.4 million vehicles. Of them 70 percent are two-wheelers, 15 percent cars, 10 percent buses and five percent auto-rickshaws.

On an average 4,000 vehicles from neighbouring states and other places pass through the city roads daily. Every month, 25,000 new vehicles are being registered in the city, according to figures with the traffic police.

(Maitreyee Boruah can be contacted at m.boruah@ians.in)