Number of Pedal Pushers increases in the city

Chennai roads are not the best ones to pedal on in heavy traffic. Despite this, many have taken the leap and are using a bicycle as their mode of transportation. The numbers are not as many as one would like, but their spirit is encouraging.  

Sharath Nambiar, Deputy Director of Dakshinachitra has been cycling to work every day since 2008. He cycles from his home in Tambaram to Dakshinachitra, covering a distance of about 26 km in 55 minutes. “I didn’t want the traffic to take control of my schedule, so I decided to cycle to work. It is not only good for the health but I also beat the traffic. I start my day at 7.30 am. I reach work in less than an hour. “I am always on time. I carry a set of spare set of clothes that I change into once I am at work. 

A fitness enthusiast, he also encourages his staff and colleagues to just pick up the cycle and ride. “I have made my cycle a brand ambassador. I have quirky messages all over my bike, like, ‘No carbon footprint’, ‘No parking charges’, ‘No Stress’, ‘Cycling burns fat and cars build fat’ ‘One cycle = One less car in the city’ and ‘This burns calories not fuel’,” he says. 

There are also companies that encourage employees to pedal to work rather than go in for a motorised transport. For instance, Krea, a health care research firm in Alwarpet, has some interesting offers. “We have been having a policy by which when staff member buys a bicycle to ride from home to office, the company bears half the cycle cost. This has inspired many employees to take the healthy route to work,” says Pravin Shekar, the CEO of Krea. He himself commutes to work from his residence in Adyar. He further adds, “Now we have similar offers for cycling gear, where the company takes care of half the expense. This apart, we also have a few cycles stationed in the office for the staff to use when they have to step out for some chores.” 

There are many who would be happy to cycle to work every day but say lack of facilities is discouraging. All of them carry spare clothes and change into formals upon reaching office. “The weather in the city is usually not kind, especially during summer. Most offices do not have a cycle stand and people have to leave the bicycle in the two-wheeler stand. There have been instances where the cycles have gone missing. Also, it will be helpful if offices have a decent shower facility on the premises,” says Sanjeev Ramki, who often cycles to work. However, there are many offices now that are creating spaces for cyclists to park he ride. “I work in IIT Research Park in Taramani, where there is a separate parking lot for cyclists,” says Mudit Upadhayay, a research engineer. He was inspired by his colleague who is 40-plus and a father of two, to pedal every day. “I thought, if he can do that,  why not I. So I leave my house at Adambakkam at 6.30 every morning and reach Taramani. Though we do not have a shower facility, I have asked my superiors and they have agreed. If the employers show interest, it only promotes the idea of adopting a healthy lifestyle,” he says. 

It is a fact that the city roads are not bicycle- friendly and the Corporation has to take steps to promote the concept, feel some Chennaiites.

In 2014, Chennai Corporation came up with a special project called Non-Motorised Transport Policy (NMT) which included walking, cycling, cycle rickshaws, pushcarts and other forms of mobility, aimed at increasing the use of cycling.  It earmarked certain stretches in Chennai where a part of the road is alloted for cyclists. “We created such cycle tracks in Anna Nagar, Sivasamy Road, Kamarajar Salai and in some stretches of  Anna Salai. However, there is no response among the public and we will conduct awareness programme soon to take such tracks,” K S Kandasamy, Deputy Commissioner (Works), Greater Chennai Corporation told DTNext . He added that they would extend the cycle tracks to other main roads, based on the response. The Corporation also plans to widen the pavements at PT Rajan Salai, Lakshmanaswamy Salai and Ramasamy Salai in KK Nagar to make them cycling track-cum-pavements, a first of a kind in the city. However, the widening project is facing opposition from some residents. “The residents are concerned that the widening of the roads will take away the parking space,” says Tahaer Zoyab, co-founder of Triple O Studio that designed the project.

Rs 100,000 and above is cost of the high-end bicycles. Rs 50,000 to Rs 90,000 bicycles favoured by long-distance riders

Rs 25,000 to Rs 20,000 is price of the bicycles sought by entry-level cycling buffs, who pedal an average of 35 km a day , and look to scale up later

The state government launched the free bicycle scheme for girl students hailing from backward, most backward and denotified communities in 2005-2006