Gear up for Cycling

Cycling is so much fun, to enhance our good health or act as an environmental benefit.

It mainly reduces noise and air pollution. It does not emit any kind of harmful gas and reduces global climate change. Cycle riding has not only confined to children or youngsters but also includes aged people too. The main health benefits of regular cycling, reduce the risk of diabetes and high risk of blood pressure. It can also help in maintaining your weight, muscles and reduces the risk of heart diseases. According to  The energy and resources institute(TERI) 2019, if we use cycle as the only mode of transport, India can save upto Rs 1.8 lakh crore annually.

Recently, the Smart Cities Mission launched India Cycles4Change Challenge to encourage the promotional activities of cycling. In India, the cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi preferred more into the cycling mode of transport. In Bengaluru, after the lockdown, people are more conscious about fitness, so they go for cycling. Bicycles have boosted up in India with so many brands and stores ranging from Rs 4,000 to above Rs 20,000. According to the European commission’s statement, “Sustainable Development stands for meeting the needs of present generations without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The purpose of sustainability stipulated the social aspects along with economic and ecological aspects. Thus, cycling is a sustainable means of transport and plays an important role in developed and metropolitan cities.

Apart from environmental and health benefits, there are few more benefits.

1. Economic benefit- It is cheap and non motorized transport . There is no need for space to park your vehicle. It does not require any insurance, policies, or anything else.
2. Social benefit – It is a good way to spend together with your friends and family. It is the best thing to meet new friends and also can be part of a cycling club. You can ride, on behalf of an organization to support them or for a charity.
3. Transportation benefits – It is an eco-friendly urban transport to travel across the world. It is a good way to learn all the routes and also can avoid all the traffics. It is also a chance to explore new places.
4. Sports benefits – It is a good way, to lower the risk of their injury. It can also help to build up citizen engagement.

However, in a bid to encourage bicycling, we need to conduct so many awareness campaigns about the use and safety measures of cycling and also to reduce the use of private vehicles such as parking fees and create traffic blocks. These are the measures to be implemented to those who are completely relying on private vehicles even for the short distance.

image credit : Thrillophilia