BENGALURU: Where there is a ‘wheel’, there is a way. This has been proved by cyclists who came to the aid of a senior citizen. It is now an easy ride on the roads for cyclists and taking advantage of the lockdown situation, a relay was organised, and for a good cause. The bicycle initiative which has 72 volunteers already in the city, saw four cyclists from different parts of Bengaluru, help the senior citizen staying in Electronics City.
The 72-year-old, who was a cancer patient, was unable to get medicines and had immediately called 1090 -- the Elder’s helpline -- stating that it was a case of urgency. The helpline, which is operated at the Police Commissioner’s building on Infantry Road, has been working closely with the Bicycle Mayor to get essentials for the elderly.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Sumit Gupta, one of the cyclists who was a part of the relay, explained, “We had received the address and the details of the senior citizen. Based on that, we found that the medicine was only available at a pharmacy in Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. One of our members collected the medicine in the morning. He then cycled till Madiwala, where I took over the medicine and went up to Kudlu gate. From there, another cyclist took over till Electronics City toll and from there, to the last destination.”
This was the second time that a relay had been organised in such a manner. “Last week we had to collect a hearing aid battery. Through word of mouth, we could get the battery and supply it to a resident in Bommanahalli,” Sumit said. Apart from this, over 90 trips have been conducted to help the elderly in the city. Volunteers from Urban Morph, WRI and Relief Riders got together to map the vulnerable. As a starting point, they have mapped the elderly over 60 years of age from the electoral rolls. For instance, the team had mapped a single ward (ward 19) from the electoral lists and found 1 in 5 were senior citizens.
The Bengaluru Relief Riders programme is an initiative of #CycleToWork ambassadors along with other interested cyclists across the city of Bengaluru under the Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru.