Bhubaneswar set to take up Cycles4Change challenge, Cyclegiri on Friday

Through this programme, the city administration urges everyone to embrace cycling as a mode of transport in their daily life and give respect to cyclists on roads as these small efforts will eventually help the city become cleaner and greener. Through this challenge, the registered cities will implement quick interventions to create a safe and cycling- friendly city through community participation, Prem Chandra Chaudhary, BMC Commissioner-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd, said.

In order to promote cycle riding amid COVID-19 pandemic, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) in association with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is hosting 'Cycles4Change' campaign on Friday, a senior official said. The aim is to make the Odisha capital one of the most prominent bicycle-friendly cities of India by encouraging the citizens to cycle be it to their workplace or for rejuvenation purposes, and promote the culture of cycling in the city.

The challenge aims to help the city administration to connect with the citizens, cycle enthusiasts as well as experts to develop a unified vision and initiatives to promote cycling as a mode of transport among one and all. Bhubaneswar is one of the 95 cities to have registered for the India Cycles4Change Challenge, which is an initiative of Smart Cities Mission of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

As part of the campaign, a cycle rally called Cyclegiri Respect4Cyclists will be organized at Ekamra Plaza Janpath, near Sishu Bhavan Square on Friday, which will culminate at Dhauli, a stretch of around 12 km, the official said. Through this programme, the city administration urges everyone to embrace cycling as a mode of transport in their daily life and give respect to cyclists on roads as these small efforts will eventually help the city become cleaner and greener.

Through this challenge, the registered cities will implement quick interventions to create a safe and cycling- friendly city through community participation, Prem Chandra Chaudhary, BMC Commissioner-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd, said. "We have accepted the Cycles4Change challenge to promote cycling in Bhubaneswar ... We are working on creating small cycle paths or loops in residential areas to help the citizens in doing their daily activities like going to market, offices on cycles. Above anything else, we want to promote a healthy lifestyle among the citizens by encouraging them to take to cycling," said Chaudhary.

"We are working on some aspects to ensure that cyclists get respect and acknowledgement from society. Truck, bus and car drivers will take a pledge on how to let a cyclist feel safe on the road while appearing for the driving license test," he said. "To ensure this transformation, Bhubaneswar is committed to working with its citizens as it develops and implements the proposals. Community engagement is a key component of the initiative and with the support of citizens, this initiative will be a success," Chaudhary added.

Interested citizens can volunteer and mobilise volunteers for the initiatives, spread the word through social networking platforms and in their communities. During the event, dedicated cycle routes in the city will be announced, cyclegiri anthem song will be launched and a pledge to be taken by truck, bus and auto associations will be declared.

Apart from encouraging enthusiasts to take up cycling, the administration urges everyone to make Friday in every week as Cycle Day. The idea behind the plan is to encourage many people to come to office on a cycle once in a week on Friday to promote a better city environment, healthy lifestyle and sustainable urban habitat, said another official..