Manish Kumar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 30: Having lived most of his life in the state capital, urban planner Piyush Rout was no stranger when it came to local ways of life. In our cities, driving one’s car to work is considered a status symbol while cycling to work is virtually unheard of. However, Rout was not prepared for the culture shock that awaited him in the Western countries — he was surprised to find that over there it is a much ‘cooler’ thing to cycle to work.
“It was interesting to see how several countries had successfully managed to integrate cycling into their cities. I was inspired by that and wanted to replicate the same in the city,” Rout said.
Thus came about the Bhubaneswar Cycling and Adventure Club in 2012, which Rout formed with the help of like-minded people eager to adopt a mode of transport that was not just non-polluting but also offered a brilliant way to stay fit.
The club has had a steady inflow of members interested in going on long bicycle rides.
“My trips abroad as an urban planner taught me the worth of cycling. It is not looked down upon as we strangely do here. Rather, it is a wonderful way to commute as it is economical and not affected by traffic jams. In India, however, it is a social status problem. That is what I want to address among people of the city through my club,” said Rout.
Rout, a regular cyclist since his childhood, is also advocating to the government the need for dedicated cycle tracks in the city in order to promote cycling as a safer, cheaper and healthier alternative to other forms of transport.
“People should want to cycle to work. It is stress-free, cheaper and healthier. There will be no traffic jams. If the government builds bicycling tracks in the city, it could very well become a reality,” said another member of
the group.
Similar is the case of Ajay Kumar Nanda, a 30-year-old young entrepreneur from the city who is an enthusiastic partner of the club. According to Nanda, if citizens vow to adapt to cycling which is a natural and sustainable mode of transport, the problem of air pollution can easily be tackled at the right time.
“I strongly advocate the use of bicycles. It helps people take proper care of their health while also going easy on the environment. We often go on long rides with our members on holidays. There are around 25-30 people in our group who often go on rides together,” said Nanda.
“Our members span generations. The youngest must probably be 12 while the older ones are generally around 50. All of us often assemble on holidays and on important events such as World Environment Day and Earth Day, when we take out special cycle rallies to create awareness among the public. Such initiatives help draw the public towards cycling,” said Asrujit Mohanty, another club member who is an entrepreneur in the city. He often goes on cycling trips with his friends in and around the city.
Most of the members of the group take their passion for cycling to a new high with bicycle-wear, goggles, special helmets and multi-geared bicycles.
“I own a high-end bicycle which I’d wanted to buy for a long time. I often go on rides with my friends in and around the city. It is a wonderful way of beating stress and is very refreshing. I find it very helpful,” Mohanty said.
“I have been to metropolitan cities like Bangalore and Pune. There I have seen a lot of initiatives by the government to promote cycling. In Bangalore, there are cycle-rental services at major junctions to promote cycling. In Pune, there are long stretches of cycling tracks. But in Bhubaneswar, we only have a small stretch near AG Square for cycling. We need more support from the state government for cycling,” said Durgesh Nandan, another cyclist of the group.
