200 Mumbaikars pedal for freedom from fuel

With an aim to promote cycling as a mode of transport and urge other commuters to co-operate with cyclists,around 200 people from different age groups rode bikes from five points in the city — Mira Road,Borivali,Mulund/Thane,Vashi and Colaba. Pedaling all the way,they gathered to hoist the National Flag at Prabhadevi and then resumed their ride towards Worli and then to Carter Road,Bandra.

“It is not just a sport,we want to promote it as a viable commuting option,” said Shammi Sethi,a real estate consultant who came up with the idea of organising the ride on Independence Day. “For short distances at least,you can either walk or pedal.”

Sethi came up the idea last year and about 250 cyclists turned up to support him. “All kinds of people from different age groups and backgrounds come here,so I get to learn about new techniques and equipment in cycling and meet new people. But we have to be cautious on city roads all the time,” said Naishadh Shah,a student of textile engineering,

Only six per cent of Mumbai’s commuters use bicycles as a mode of transport,compared with 12 per cent in Delhi,according to a study conducted by EMBARQ,under the World Resource Institute for Sustainable Transport.

Sethi said while he doesn’t know any cyclist who has had a fatal accident,there have been a number of mishaps due to tardy and potholed roads and rash drivers. “In fact,I had fallen and fractured my shoulder two-and-a-half months back,” he said. “It would be nice to have cycling tracks here like in other parts of the world.”

Earlier this year,the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority opened a cycling track in Bandra-Kurla Complex. “No one uses the track at BKC. It has not been made properly and it’s in a commercial complex,” Sethi said.

Sethi and his fellow cyclists keep organising such events around the city to encourage people to take up cycling. Johann Daniels,a third-year student of zoology,who helped organise the I-Day ride,said,“We ride around the hot spots once a month. Mostly we get abused by drivers of four wheelers,but there are times when we get a thumbs-up too.”