File pic of a cycle ride organised by Hyderabad Bicycling Club
The Hindu
Ecologise Hyderabad celebrates 200 years of the bicycle
Cycle enthusiasts from across the city of Hyderabad gathered on January 29, 2017, to celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of the bicycle. The event was organised by Ecologise and included a film screening and a talk by T. Vijayendra, a founding member of Ecologise Hyderabad, on the relevance of the bicentennial year of bicycle.
Hema Vaishnavi
Cycle enthusiasts from across the city of Hyderabad gathered on January 29, 2017, to celebrate the bicentenary of the invention of the bicycle. The event was organised by Ecologise Hyderabad at La Makaan, an open cultural centre in Hyderabad.
The event opened with the screening of a film on bicycle, The Bicycle- A celebration of the Invention, which was followed by a talk by T. Vijayendra, a founding member of Ecologise Hyderabad, on the relevance of the bicentennial year of bicycle.
Speaking to the congregation, Vijayendra said, “From an ecological perspective, the bicycle is one of the most sustainable and affordable modes of transport. Almost anyone can afford it. It is cheaper than a smart phone! It is the transport of the future, particularly at a time when oil resources are depleting.”
Various cycle enthusiasts from across the city attended the celebration of the bicentenary, including the members of bicycle clubs and bicycle stores, and various promoters of cycling in the city. Members of prominent clubs and groups such the Hyderabad Bicycle Club, the Bike Affair, Bike and Skate Park and Stay Active attended the event.
The main objective the event was to bring all cycle enthusiasts in the city to cooperate and plan activities and events to celebrate the event in Hyderabad throughout the year. The coming of together of cyclists from across the city led to an exchange of different perspectives and scenarios of cycling in Hyderabad, eventually leading to the formation of a committee of bicycle enthusiasts in the city.
The committee was formed with a vision to recognise and promote bicycle as viable means of transport. The team pledged their commitment towards increasing the viability of the bicycle in the city, and also towards using bicycle as a medium of emancipation of women, and as an aid to children to go to high school and beyond.
One of the major plans of action that the committee decided on was to submit proposals to the government on bicycle sharing programmes at bus stops and providing bicycles to girl children in the city.