Doubling cyclists in the next five years

The World Cycling Alliance has constituted a committee to give impetus to cycling the world over. In this regard, the Hyderabad Cycling Club along with HMR and the UN are working to make the city a hub for the sport

In a befitting honour, the Chairman of the Hyderabad Bicycling Club (HBC), DV Manohar is part of the four-member ‘Board Committee’ constituted by the World Cycling Alliance (WCA) that will work to chalk out a plan for acceleration of cycling promotion.

The other members are Tim Blumenthal, USA; Prof. Lake Sagaris, Chile and Bernhard Ensink, Secretary General, WCA, who will assist the Committee. Manohar, who is also the Chairman of the All India Bicycling Federation and the only Indian on the Board of World Cycling Alliance, Brussels said, “It is a challenging as well as an exciting task. We are aiming at submitting the report at our next meeting in Rio de Janeiro in June, 2016. We will be aiming at doubling the number of cyclists across the world in the next five years.”

The WCA is working closely with UN to promote The Global Goals, as stipulated in the preamble of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to realise the human rights of all. Manohar cites cycling as a key detail towards achieving the goals what with the environmental and health benefits it carries. “Governments at all levels should provide safe access to public space, protect those that walk and cycle and ensure through mobility - equal participation in society,” said Manohar.

In addition, the HBC has created another milestone by entering into a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd (HMR) and the UN Habitat. As part of this agreement, HBC will be setting up 100 bike stations with a total inventory of 10,000 bikes including e-bikes in 63 Metro Stations and 37 residential and commercial clusters in Hyderabad.