Automobiles parked on designated cycle tracks, painted inexperienced by CSML, on the Rajendra Maidan-Abraham Madamakkal Highway hall, go away no area for cyclists.
| Photograph Credit score: H. Vibhu

The United Nations declared June 3 as World Bicycle Day to acknowledge the bicycle’s significance as a way of transport. At the same time as extra folks have embraced biking in Kochi, it continues to be extra a supply of train or a leisure exercise relatively than serve a purposeful goal as conveyance. 

An element is the absence of cyclist-friendly roads, which makes it an unsafe mode of transport throughout rush hour site visitors on town’s most important roads. Aluva-based Mithradham Renewable Power Centre seeks to vary that. As a part of World Bicycle Day celebrations, Mithradham has deliberate a biking occasion pivoted across the 16.5-kilometre Pipeline Highway that originates close to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) Pumping Station at Aluva and winds up close to the Ernakulam South Railway Station, close to the KWA Pumping Station. 

Additionally learn | Pedalling for pleasure: How cycling is becoming an increasingly popular recreational fitness activity in India 

“Not many individuals know that such a highway exists. We wish to introduce folks to this highway, which may be transformed right into a ‘biking precedence’ highway. That is 40 ft extensive, and since it’s a highway which has pipelines, it’s closed to heavy autos making it excellent for cyclists,” says Santosh Thanikkat, coordinator of Mithradham’s CyKochi project, which goals at making Kochi a cycling-friendly metropolis. The stretch can be utilized by cyclists on the lookout for protected roads to commute inside the metropolis.  “There are extra folks on the market biking, however that’s primarily for train. However what number of are utilizing bicycles to commute? A inexperienced monitor on the highway just isn’t sufficient. It needs to be protected.” 

In addition to elevating consciousness about Pipeline Highway highway and biking, the programme goals to mobilise help for the demand to make it a biking precedence highway. “We aren’t asking that the highway be made solely for cyclists, simply that cyclists be given a precedence whereas on it,” Santosh says. In addition to discovering a brand new biking path, members are inspired to search out pocket roads connecting to this highway. “Pipeline Highway is between one and 5 kilometres from any highway within the metropolis and 7 kilometres from Chittoor Highway. It may be accessed simply!”  

As a part of World Bicycle Day programmes, allied occasions embody theme-based competitions similar to a design competitors for structure college students to submit designs to beautify the stretch. It’s being held in affiliation with the Indian Institute of Architects. 

A ‘biking carnival’ shall be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kaloor, on June 4. For extra data 9770820147