Bhubaneswar: The State capital of Odisha is all set to dip in the fever of CycleGiri tomorrow. The cyclothon event, a part of campaign 'Cycles4Change’ will begin from Ekamra Plaza Janpath near Sishubhavan Square at 6.30 AM on Friday and culminate at Dhauli, covering a stretch of around 12 kms.
Jointly organised by Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) in association with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the campaign aims to make Bhubaneswar one of the most prominent bicycle-friendly cities of the country by encouraging the citizens to cycle – be it to their workplace or for rejuvenation purposes, and promote the culture of cycling in the city.
It will also help the city administration to connect with the citizens, cycle enthusiasts as well as experts to develop a unified vision and initiatives to promote cycling as a mode of transport among one and all.
Bhubaneswar is one of the 95 cities to have registered for the India 'Cycles4Change' Challenge, which is an initiative of Smart Cities Mission under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
Through this programme, the city administration urged everyone to embrace cycling as a mode of transport in their daily life and give respect to cyclists on roads as these small efforts will eventually help the city becoming cleaner and greener.
BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said that through this challenge, the registered cities will implement quick interventions to create a safe and cycling-friendly city through community participation.
“We are working on creating small cycle paths or loops in residential areas to help the citizens in doing their daily activities like going to market, offices on cycles. Besides, we want to promote healthy lifestyle among the citizens by encouraging them to take to cycling,” said Chaudhary.
“We are working on some aspects to ensure that the cyclists get respect and acknowledgement from society. Truck, bus and car drivers will take a pledge on how to let a cyclist feel safe on road while appearing for the driving license test," added Chaudhary.
“To ensure this transformation, Bhubaneswar is committed to working with its citizens as it develops and implements the proposals. Community engagement is a key component of the initiative, and with the support of citizens, this initiative will be a success,” further stated Chaudhary.
He said that interested citizens can volunteer and mobilise volunteers for the initiatives, spread the word through social networking platforms and in their communities.
During the event, dedicated cycle routes in the city will be announced, cyclegiri anthem song will be launched and a pledge to be taken by truck, bus and auto associations will be declared.
The 'Cycles4Change' Challenge campaign which will continue till December 14 includes a host of activities – both online and on ground to create public interest and making cycling an integral part of their lives.
The administration hopes 8000+ cyclists will register in the Cycle4Change Campaign by December 13 and become a part of #Cycle4Change social movement. Influencers will be invited to take pledge online and the video will be subsequently published in social media accounts of BSCL and BMC.
Celebrities can also post videos on their Facebook & Instagram handles with #FridayCycleDay hashtag. Citizens taking part in #CycleGiri and #CycleDayFriday can also tag to BMC and Smart City pages.
Along with 95 other cities, Bhubaneswar is taking part in the India Cycles4change challenge, which will run in two stages. On October 11, cities will be shortlisted and will receive Rs 1 crore award and guidance from national and international experts to further scale up the initiatives in stage two, which will be held until May 2021.
Read More:
Another Marathon Wonder Boy In Odisha Gets Off the Block
Covid Battle: ECoR Engages MeD Robo In Bhubaneswar Hospital To Assist Medical Staff