Meet Aparna, Kerala’s first Junior Bicycle Mayor

A Class XII student of Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill, Aparna is a bright student and has proved her mettle in various competitions including arts and sports
Aparna says that she wants to encourage more people to use bicycles as a mode of transport to reduce pollution levels. (Representatioanl Image | Twitter)
Aparna says that she wants to encourage more people to use bicycles as a mode of transport to reduce pollution levels. (Representatioanl Image | Twitter)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cycling has always been a part of Aparna Prabhakar’s life from the beginning. From commuting to her school on a bicycle to encouraging her friends to cycle, Aparna has always been at the forefront to promote cycling. On June 3, World Bicycle Day, this 17-year-old added another feather in her cap as she was appointed as the ‘Junior Bicycle Mayor’ of the city and the first Junior Bicycle Mayor of Kerala. She was selected from among 23 students who were nominated by their schools from across the state.

With this selection, Aparna becomes the second Junior Bicycle Mayor in India. The first is a boy from Valsad in Gujarat. The third is Malav Dutta who was selected as the Junior Bicycle Mayor of Guwahati on the same day as Aparna. Internationally, Amsterdam and Dublin have also got Junior Bicycle Mayors.

A Class XII student of Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill, Aparna is a bright student and has proved her mettle in various competitions including arts and sports. Besides, she has been a regular participant in various cycling events held in the city. Aparna says: “I knew about the Bicycle Mayor of the city and the initiatives taken to promote cycling. During one of the workshops held in February by Green Army International of the city corporation, I got to know about the Junior Bicycle Mayor and developed an interest.”

Explaining the selection process, Aparna says: “The competition was tough as the students were nominated by the schools. Also, there were different activity criteria which included introductory speech, our vision of cycling and how we can promote the same. This was followed by an interview session with experts which included some eminent personalities. I am happy that I was able to become the first Junior Bicycle Mayor of Kerala.”

Aparna says that she wants to encourage more people to use bicycles as a mode of transport to reduce pollution levels. She says: “The programme endorsed by BYCS from Amsterdam in The Netherlands is a social enterprise driven by the belief that bicycles transform cities and cities transform the world. Their motive is to ensure more people take up cycling around the world. I am planning to encourage all my friends to take up cycling.”

Highlighting the novel initiative launched by Mayor K Sreekumar, Aparna says that it is a very thoughtful decision made by the city corporation to distribute free cycles to girl students in high school classes. She adds that in the wake of the lockdown, many people have taken to cycling and she hopes the same is continued.

Aparna is the daughter of Prabha Ajanur and Shobhana B C. She has a brother, Vishnu Prabhakar, a BTech student. As part of World Environment Day, Aparna will be taking part in the pledge in the first-ever digital conference on ‘Cycle Friendly Cities for Children’ organised by BYCS, Surat.

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