Chennai: In a bid to encourage people cycling, Felix John from Chennai, has been elected as the Bicycle Mayor by Amsterdam-based social enterprise BYCS. A happy Felix is charting out ideas to make people embrace and leverage cycling.
As the first step, he plans to put the infrastructure to effective usage. “The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) laid a cycling track for school children in K K Nagar. And similarly, the additional lines were added as part of the Smart City Project. However, the spaces are currently being used for other purposes altogether. My first task is to reinitiating an existing infrastructure and putting it to right use,” Felix elaborates.
Making use of the facility happens only when there are enough riders and the cycling community, We Are Chennai Cyclist Group (WCCG), which he is a part of, is already initiating a range of events to increase the number of cyclists. “One event is car-free Sundays for which we collaborate with Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), an NGO that works closely with GCC. With this, we identify and shortlist locations for tracks,” he adds.
Felix also feels that two-/four-wheelers cannot be entirely replaced and that they promote cycling for shorter distance. “Our city is not well-planned to ride a bicycle wherever we can. A couple of years ago, children cycle to their schools. However, now the management is now discouraging. Over the years, the track began to loose its value,” the cycling-enthusiast adds.
Having multiple chapters in the city, WCCG conducts ‘newbie ride’, an initiative exclusively for beginners which happens hyperlocally.
Felix also emphasises on the safety aspect while riding a bicycle alongside other modes of transportation. Although a mishap is not motivated, he feels that awareness should be spread among fellow commuters to exercise precaution. “We see bikes being rode on platform which is a space essentially for pedestrians in areas like Kotturpuram and Teynampet. We realise the value only when we are impacted by an act which is the reason I advocate safety for cyclists,” Felix adds.
The Royapuram resident began to cycle in 2016 for fitness reasons and now he is an enthusiast. “I cycled whenever I got time to several parts of the city that increased my confidence to navigate. I began to search for groups for cycling and joined WCCG that has 11 chapters in the city. I developed consistency in cycling and went for rides with the Marina chapter,” Felix tells.
WHO IS A BYCYCLE MAYOR
It is an initiative taken by Amsterdam based social enterprise BYCS that appoints Bicycle Mayors for cities. The mayors are selected through nomination or voting method and an interview is held to filter the candidates. The focus of the programme is that 50 per cent of the commutership should happen through cycling by 2030, which is commonly referred as 50by30. It does not just provide active, clean mobility solutions for cities but it also improves public mental and physical health, the environment, build stronger communities and fosters new, sustainable economic opportunities. The elected person should take initiatives suiting the local needs and considering the infrastructure within the two-year stint.