Phenomenal idea of Chennai Corporation – excitement among youth

In Chennai, at one point bicycle riders were looked upon as outlandish people but now they are perceived as elite. Rightfully so, due to the price of the bicycles which ranges from 50,000 to 5 lakhs. The reason for the behavioural change among people is twofold, one is people's reaction to global pollution and the other is encouragement by international organisations to use bicycles.

Particularly youngsters nowadays, prefer eco-friendly options such as using bicycles for their trips, commute, noctivagant activities etc. This tendency and behaviour change of people has inspired the smart city Chennai to reinforce and encourage bicycle usage. Chennai Corporation has walked the talk by creating many centres for "smart bikes" at affordable rates in bustling places such as Metros, bus stops etc.

In Chennai, currently there are 134 smart bike centres and 1115 bicycles in operating condition are kept in the centres for ready usage by the public. Chennai Smart City Limited has provided the service of smart bikes and also made the roads easy on the eyes by forming grass fields on the sides and vertical gardens on the bridge pillars. Our team talked to the beneficiaries of smart bikes about their experience.

"Mostly we are taking bicycle rides at the break of the day. The vertical gardens on the roads makes the experience a spectacular one which helps us travel long distances and obtain good oxygen. Nature has the tendency to refresh the human mind, which plays a major role in bicycle riding other than physical strength. Chennai Corporation has done a commendable job by making the roads pleasant for riding bicycles, in turn making the minds refreshing", said a youngster.

"The greenery on the road makes it easy on the eyes and provides a pleasant environment for work outs as well as bicycle riding", said a Punjabi. "Chennai is becoming more green and natural, particularly the vertical gardens are a focal point of my attention. Chennai should be transformed into a greener city and a city of zero pollution. I appreciate Chennai Corporation for its efforts in making Chennai a better place to live in", said a middle-aged woman.

"Chennai Corporation has introduced smart bikes as a measure to curb pollution in Chennai which I believe will definitely make a difference", said a youngster who rides a bicycle daily on the beachside. An official in Chennai said, "....the twin-objectives of the introduction of smart bikes in Chennai are pollution control and maintenance of physical health. We introduced many types of smart bikes, one is an eco-bike which is similar to the normal bicycle and the other one is an e-bike which functions entirely on batteries and doesn't require pedalling for movement, instead the rider just has to apply acceleration."

"The speciality of the smart bikes lies in the flexibility it offers. Meaning, the bikes can be taken from one centre and entrusted to another centre and the rent which is very cheap can be paid via apps etc.", said one of the beneficiaries of smart bikes.

Chennai Corporation has taught us a valuable lesson......Life is a cycle (pun intended).