65 riders take part in Cycles4Change Challenge in Mangaluru

Sixty five enthusiastic riders participated in the Cycles4Change Challenge to create awareness of the proposed 'dedicated cycling track' in Mangaluru on Sunday. Riders as young aged six to 60 pedalled the 10 km route and had first-hand experience of the Mangaluru Smart City cycling route touching schools and colleges. Senior members of We R Cycling guided young riders.

The ride was organised jointly by Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL), in association with architect Niren Jain, We R Cycling and various Cycling clubs.

In the later phases, the cycling track will touch most of Mangaluru’s schools and colleges, so that students can use the track safely and regularly to commute to their institutions. The cycling track, once completed, will also be open to use for all cyclists.

WERC members made sure the cycling group moved smoothly and safely by halting and manning traffic at every junction.

Harniish Raj, the event coordinator and the representative of WERC for Mangaluru Smart city Cycles4Change committee instructed and educated riders on thumb rules of riding safely on public roads, and ensuring that masks were worn by all the participants as per government regulations for Covid-19 safety.

After the ride was complete a small session was conducted to share experiences of cyclists; suggestions and recommendations were presented to Mangaluru Smart City officials for deliberation and implementation to make Mangaluru safe for cyclists.

The Cycles for Change (C4C) challenge, a Union government initiative, aims to inspire Indian cities to implement quick cycling-friendly interventions in the wake of the pandemic, with the support of residents and assistance from experts. The ride took participants through the proposed pilot routes, which are expected to be developed as a dedicated corridor for cycling in the near future.

Members of We R Cycling, Diwakar (Mayor of Mangaluru), Cycles4Change officials Niren Jain (Architect & Environmental Planners consultant to MSCL for transforming Mangaluru to a Cycling Friendly City), Mohammed Nazir (MD), Arun Rao (GM, technical), Chandrakant, Nodal officer for India cycle's 4change challenge, were present.