Namma Bengaluru among India’s ‘top 11 cycling pioneers’

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is among the cities to which the Centre has awarded the title of ‘India’s top 11 cycling pioneers’.

The Government of India awarded 11 cities with the prestigious title of being India’s Top 11 Cycling Pioneers. The award marks the start of the next stage of the first season of India Cycles4Change Challenge where 107 cities across the country come together to test, learn, and scale up different cycling-friendly initiatives, kickstarting India’s cycling revolution.

From the top 25 cities that were shortlisted earlier this year, a jury of renowned national and international transport experts selected the top 11 cities who will receive an award of Rs 1 crore each to scale up their cycling initiatives.

As per the India Cycles4Challenge report, ‘The Dawn of India’s Cycling Revolution’, Bengaluru built on the success of its pop-up cycle lanes and launched a platform, the Sustainability Mobility Accord, to create cycling neighbourhoods.

“The accord provided an opportunity for citizens and local organisations to work with the city to identify and redesign different neighbourhoods. It started with a bang right at the city centre, creating slow zones to make streets safer for cycling. Bengaluru plans to expand its initiatives across the city and make every neighbourhood a cycling neighbourhood,” read an excerpt of the report.

Though not in the top 11, Davanagere in Karnataka was among the list of other cycling pioneers too.

As per the report, Davanagere launched a local campaign to make cycling cool again — with exclusive cycling-themed merchandise at cycle rallies, campaigns with LED displays across the city and even cycling anthems spread through local radio shows.