The bike brigade

8220;I stay near Prabhat Road. My college is so near that taking a rickshaw is ridiculous and I don8217;t fancy myself walking with all my instruments. So the best option I have is go on my cycle,8221; says Sooraj Pandey, an architecture student in Marathwada College of Architecture. Sooraj has an option which enables him to be environment friendly and also takes care of his mode of transport.

Pune is also called the Oxford of East8217;. In the schools, 25 per cent of kids come on their bicycles. But unfortunately once they finish their schooling and come to college, their cycles are thrown inside the garage and a moped or scooterette takes over. But there are still some students who continue to go to college on their cycles. A graduate in history from Wadia College, Pramila says, 8220;I live near Boat Club road. When I was in FYJC I used to go to college on my cycle though some people used to tease me as to why I was still sticking to a bicycle when the whole world was turning to other vehicles. I refused to let them bother me because cycling was convenient for me and it is the best you can do for the environment.8221;

There are many people like Pramila who turn to their cycles in order to do their bit towards the environment. Pravin Murthy, a second year MCom student in Symbiosis, feels that nowadays college students only discuss among themselves as to how polluted the city has become, but don8217;t do anything about it. He says, 8220;Even for a distance of 2-3 kms people take their vehicles. I agree that this has become a trend and it8217;s not easy to get rid of your habits. I also take my scooter occasionally to college. But I wish those people, who chide me on the days I use my cycle, realise how important cycling is both healthwise and environmentwise.8221;

There are also some college students who cycle for their own pleasure and convenience. But consciously or unconsciously they are definitely doing their bit. R Nandini is a std XI girl who stays in Aundh Road. She says, 8220;I go to Modern College. Though there is a direct bus from my place to college, I don8217;t take it since the timings don8217;t suit me. So I cycle down till Khadki station and cross over to the highway and board my bus that goes to corporation. This way I don8217;t have to wait for long hours for the bus to come, I get to satiate my passion of riding a bicycle and it is a good exercise too.8221;

Cycles and cycling is not entirely discarded by today8217;s generation. But some students feel that cycling is good, but not for college. Tejaswini Reddy, a first year MCom student in Symbiosis, says, 8220;I love cycling, so along with my friends I go on cycling trips even upto Sinhagad. But I feel that people should not come on their cycles to college. That8217;s because 8211; like students graduate from school to college, their mode of transport should also change from cycle to any vehicle, and if they can8217;t afford it they should travel by bus.8221;

Cycling in today8217;s age has become debatable. 8220;How good is it when all the pollution on the road get directly to our lungs, courtesy heavy vehicles?8221; say some. 8220;Look at all the petrol and money you save by cycling,8221; say others.

But Cummins Engineering College for girls has a different angle. According to Sudakshana Gopalan, a final year computer engineering student, 8220;We have a project called FLAME, in which students have to do everything anti-pollution8217; once a week. So at least once every week the students come on their cycles or walk down to college.8221;

Thus pollution or no pollution, college students today have not made the cycle feel like a poor cousin of its mechanical contemporaries. In fact, now with three-gear and five-gear cycles being promoted by cricketing heartthrob Ajay Jadeja, cycles are seen as hip8217; and happening8217;. So let8217;s go and exercise the muscle.