A smooth transit

With roads in the city dug up every now and then and traffic snarls increasing with each passing day, manoeuvring through Bengaluru roads have become a nightmare. Moreover, bottlenecks have become a common sight these days. However, amidst all these chaos, some Bengalureans have found a unique approach to apply a brake to these woes.

Electric unicycles are being used by a few youngsters to effortlessly travel through congested roads.
One such unicyclist, Rajanshu Ujjawal, who works with Jagga and is also a member of 'Electric Unicycle Club Bangalore', says, "I took two hours to learn the tricks of riding a unicycle. Now, I commute from Jagga Study Farm to the city almost every day. It has been 14 months since I have been riding one. The fact that it is a convenient mode of travel and I can ride it without getting stuck in traffic motivates me a lot."

Rajanshu also rides on his unicycle from Richmond Road to Cubbon Park every day just for fun. He says that with regular practice, one tends to understand and discover many new things.
"You might face some difficulties initially when you are learning to ride it but once you get the technique right, it naturally becomes a part of your life. I often complete a ride from BTM Layout to Richmond Road in 15 minutes on a unicycle compared to a cab that takes 45 minutes," he says.

With an aim to encourage people to learn how to ride a unicycle and use it as a short distance personal commute companion, this club meets every Sunday at Cubbon Park. Another unicyclist, Ravi Naik from 'Electric Unicycle Club Bangalore', who has been riding one for about four years now, feels that this device is the need of the hour. It is eco-friendly and emits zero pollution unlike vehicles that leave behind a thick layer of smoke.

He says, "The first time I saw Freeman Murray, the founder of Jagga and the man who got unicycles to India, moving on a unicycle smoothly, I got curious about the device. I soon started to learn it and learnt it in no time. Given the Bengaluru traffic, I can now go anywhere I want to without any hassle. Kids seem to have been picking it up faster. The best part is, once you get your balance right, you don't have to wait for cabs anymore. The cherry on the cake is that Bengaluru roads are way too comfortable to ride."

Not just unicyclists but other cyclists in the city too are giving a green signal to this mode of commute. Vishnu Vihari, a cyclist, says that anything that is eco-friendly has a room in the city, especially, if we consider the current state of Bengaluru traffic. "It is a welcome move and also has a cool perspective. The unicycle has its own benefits like strengthening one's core balance and the option to carry it like a briefcase wherever we go without having to worry about theft or finding a parking spot. I, as a cyclist, would definitely like to experiment with a concept like this," he says.

This alternate way to combat traffic congestion in the city has been welcomed by many. Now, one just has to wait and see if this eco-friendly approach takes off or fizzles out with the increasing traffic of 'Namma Bengaluru'.