THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite all odds, the lockdown period has turned out to be useful for many city residents. For Johny M L, a writer, it has turned out to be the best time to test his cycling skills. “I used to commute to college on my cycle. Later, I had to take a break. After spending more than 25 years in New Delhi and Chhattisgarh, I considered returning to cycling when I came back to Thiruvananthapuram. By then the lockdown was announced. I realised that this was the perfect time to take up cycling,” said Johny, who pedals to different locations in the city everyday and also encourages his friends to take to cycling.
As the number of Covid-19 positive cases continues to surge, several states have started prepping up to deal with the public’s hesitation and reluctance to travel by public transport. In this scenario, a bicycle provides a viable alternative to travel to small distances. To promote cycling and encourage people to safely travel to their destinations without coming in contact with multiple people, the city corporation and various cycling enthusiasts in the city have started taking measures to promote cycling post lockdown.
On the World Bicycle Day, Mayor K Sreekumar announced that the city will soon get cycling tracks which will ensure dedicated bicycle lanes on roads and safe passage for cyclists. Manaveeyam Veedhi has been identified as one of the locations to construct the cycling tracks. “Efforts are being made to lure people towards cycling. Besides reducing pollution levels, cycling also becomes an alternative for fitness freaks to keep themselves fit and healthy. We need to do more campaigns so that people continue the habit, thereby reducing vehicle density,” said Sreekumar.
Besides, constructing cycling tracks, the city corporation is also planning to distribute free cycles among girl students of classes VIII, IX and X. Cycle clubs will be formed at schools and colleges so that the students can encourage city commuters to take up cycling daily.Cycling enthusiasts in the city are on cloud nine over the proposal and have also opined that there is currently no proper space for cyclists in the city. “Bicycle shops in the city have run out of stock due to the increasing demand. I had written to the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs to promote cycling post lockdown.
The proposal has also been forwarded to the state government so that measures can be taken to promote cycling among the public,” said Prakash P Gopinath, founder, Indus Cycling Embassy.Prakash added that dedicated cycling lanes will also ensure the safety of the cyclists. “Many countries have created cycle pathways in their cities. This helps in making the environment clean and prevents traffic snarls. As we are living amid a pandemic, cycling encourages social distancing and is the best option,” he said.