Members of the Manipur Cycle Club after the launch Imphal, Jan. 29 : Cyclists may fight for space on streets here very soon if a dream project taken up by a group of bicycle lovers of the city takes wings.
A group of bicycle enthusiasts from various walks of life, including professionals and social activists, launched an organisation called Manipur Cycle Club in a meeting on January 23 here to promote the use of bicycle as a means of transport.
The club is the outcome of discussions about health, environment and state economy through the social networking website Facebook.
“The main idea is to promote the use of cycle for health, better environment and family economy. We will promote use of cycle as a means of transport through exhibitions, seminars and media campaigns,” Ram Wangkheirakpam, who played a major role in the formation of the club, said.
The draft objective has five points, which include pressing for separate parking space for cycles in offices and public places, separate tracks for cyclists and mandatory use of bicycles by employees once a week.
The next meeting of the group on February 6 will discuss the demand for lane and parking lots for cycles in Imphal city.
The group hopes that use of cycle would reduce traffic congestion and make Imphal less polluted. With the number of motor vehicles increasing by the day, the streets of Imphal present a chaotic situation. With a population of nearly 25 lakh, the number of vehicles in Manipur is officially estimated to be around two lakh.
The Okram Ibobi Singh government took steps to widen the city roads, but this could hardly reduce the congestion as the volume of traffic has swollen considerably.
Bicycles have increasingly become a rare sight in and around Imphal city with people opting for two-wheelers and cars. Even senior schoolchildren are using motorcycles or scooters for attending classes in schools and colleges, as well as coaching centres.
Given the response on the launching day, the move to re-introduce the bicycle could be a big hit.
Fifty people registered as members on the day of the launch and more are willing to become part of the team.
“I will also join the club. Cycling is good for health, it reduces pollution and you don’t have to spend money on fuel, the price of which is rising rapidly,” Balkrishna Sharma, joint director of information and public relations department, said.
Sharing concern over the deteriorating environment and economic situations of the state, environmentalist and director of College Development Council of Manipur University, R.K. Ranjan, said “We should use cycles as developed and developing countries are adopting this mode of transport for attending office and shopping.”