THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A cycle rally was conducted in the capital demanding a track dedicated for cyclists in the highways. The rally was flagged off by Traffic (North Zone) SP N. Vijayakumar from Manaveeyam Veedhi at 6.30 am. It was an initiative of Indus Cycling Embassy, in association with Trivandrum Bikers’ Club and Ilaveyil. “Our demand is that 1 metre should be set aside for cycling on the new highways,” said ICE founder-member Prakash Gopinath. He said that there is an over 10-km-long cycle track in Pune and a 2-km track at Panampilly Nagar, in Kochi.
Among its more than 70 participants was Padmashree V Adimurthy, who has always used a cycle to commute from his home in Kumarapuram to his workplace, ISRO. School students and cyclists training for international competitions also participated in the rally. The supporters argue that Kerala has produced national champions in cycling, but very few among them do well in the road events.
If a track is dedicated for cycling, it will not only be a greener, healthier mode of travel, but the cycling champions can also be groomed for international road events. A representation demanding the track, training facilities for the professional cyclists and measures to encourage car pooling will be submitted to the Chief Minister on September 22, observed as international car free day.
