Bicycle Alliance launched with vision of one crore cycles

To boost the city’s bicycle population, Bicycle Alliance has been launched in Bengaluru with a unique ‘Vision One Crore.’

The big objective is to get Bengalureans own one crore bicycles in the years to come so that cycling becomes second nature to all.

Launched as part of the World Bicycle Day on Wednesday, the vision was propelled by a disturbing piece of statistics: As the city’s first bicycle mayor Sathya Sankaran put it: “India is witnessing very slow growth in bicycle ownership and a decline in the use of bicycles as a form of mobility,” he said citing a report by TERI, 2014.

Between 2001 and 2011, the share of bicycle-owning households has increased by a mere 1%. “The corresponding share in rural areas has increased by 3.4%, whereas in urban areas it has declined by 4.1%. (TERI, 2018).”

Various estimates put the stock of bicycles in Bengaluru to be anywhere between 10 lakh and 30 lakhs. However, as Sankaran informed, most are lying unused. “The bicycling mode share in the city is estimated at 3%.”

The Bicycle Alliance is a collaborative of bicycle retailers, cyclists, corporates, government agencies and the community, spearheaded by the city’s bicycle mayor.

Under the Vision One Crore, the Alliance will aim to provide the people with information on events designed to help them make the switch to owning and riding a bicycle in the city. “We will identify ways to promote bicycling via engagement and technology platforms.”

The retailers will provide feedback that would help measure the success of the campaign. Nine flagship bicycle retailers in Bengaluru have already shown joined this alliance with more on the way, Sankaran informed.

Among the retailers are BumsOnTheSaddle, Track & Trail, CycleWorld, Cadence90, Pedal In Tandem, iCycle, Crankmeister Bicycle Works, Wheelsports and Jayant Probikes.

The Alliance, he said, will support the flagship #ResetWithCycling campaign that brings together government, citizens and businesses to make bicycling a means of recovery in the post-Covid world.