This August 15, we’re calling for a different kind of independence. Independence from FUEL. Do Paiyyon wali Azadi. Will you join us? A recent study by TERI states that if bicycles substitute two-and four-wheelers used for short-distance trips in India, it can result in an annual benefit of Rs 1.8 trillion. But it’s not so much the economic benefits, as the environmental. Reduced pollution from toxic emissions, fewer traffic jams and most importantly, a socially approved way of maintaining distance in a post COVID world. Sounds like quite the dream, yes? But the absence of a cycling ecosystem has prevented this from becoming a reality. Join us, as we demand the Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs to put in place a National Non-Motorised Policy Act. On August 15, take your cycle and get out on the streets. Ask your friends*. Share photos. Tag us. Let’s demand independence from fuel, together. *Please adhere to lockdown rules in your city.

What’s a convenient yet sustainable mode of transport that holds the potential to transform our mobility patterns in a post-Covid world? Just two wheels. If you saw more cyclists hitting the streets in the past few months than you have seen in the last few years, you wouldn’t be alone. With the dip in air pollution levels and fewer vehicles on the streets, the lockdown period gave us a peek of what our busy cities have the potential to look like with mindful planning and a responsible citizenry. The sharp increase in recreational cycling during the pandemic had different motivations -- people trying to beat lockdown-induced cabin fever, sneak in some much needed exercise, or taking it for a spin to run short distance errands. That’s why, this August 15, we’re dreaming of a different kind of independence. From fuel. From toxic fumes-spouting vehicles that clog our streets, and our systems. And we’re not alone. Our Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry recently issued an advisory recommending pedestrianization of at least three markets in every city and more bicycle lanes. Let’s face it -- our cities are not bicycle-friendly. The movement has begun, and we need millions of citizens to rally behind it. Join the campaign to make India cycle-friendly. Change begins with us. And don’t forget to show your support by getting out with your bike on August 15. Together we can!

There is a global consensus that this pandemic is a wake-up call in how we set the new normal. Slipping back to old ways will be read as a sign of incompetence and wilful apathy in not willing to see the obvious. Societies that don’t learn to adapt, as history tells us, will be left behind losing all opportunities to grow and prosper. Bengaluru is not one of them. We have always led by taking risks, making dynamic changes and coming together as one family. This is one more such opportunity for us to adapt and make that change when no one else is. Consequent of the lockdown, Bengaluru’s air pollution rate has dropped by over 40% just with vehicles off the road. We know its impractical to continue this way, but with over 40 of the world’s major cities planning to go cycle and pedestrian-friendly, its time our city show the same intelligence and pro-environment action. We must not miss this window of opportunity to rethink our roads which will be difficult if things go back to old normal. Why? We have made tremendous gains in air quality these last few months and must find ways to sustain this for the long-term. If NY, London, Berlin, Paris and others can, we can too. It is widely accepted by experts that this virus is not going to abate anytime soon and the only way to mitigate spread is by social distancing and personal hygiene. Public transport and Metro systems worldwide has seen an 80% decline in usage due to high transmission risks in them. Going back to personal motor vehicles, experts agree, will not just congest the roads but most importantly will again pollute the city air which will worsen our respiratory system’s ability to fight a virus that attacks it. This is one major reason why cities around the world are prioritising cycle-friendly roads. Cycling/walking is a proven way to ensure public health and general well-being. Collective voice forces political action and it is important for us as a progressive city of the world, to enable and encourage non-motorised transport (NMT) on our roads as our commitment to doing our bit for the environment. Here’s what we ask our CM together: 1. Provide temporary pop-up bicycle tracks connecting industrial areas to efficiently restart the economy in a safe, environment-friendly and congestion-free mode. 2. Opening busy shopping streets as ONLY cycling and walking zones across the city and closed for motor vehicles to enable social distancing and safer retail activities. (for e.g., Church street after widening its footpath, reducing the carriage-way width and adding cycle-parking facilities has considerably spiked foot-falls into its businesses while reducing vehicular congestion). 3. Approve an NMT policy for the city and empower DULT to prepare a Comprehensive NMT plan for the city as well as an action plan to implement this. 4. Create an NMT cell headed by a technocrat - NMT Special Commissioner within BBMP. 5. Earmark a budget of 500 crores every year to BBMP NMT cell to ensure all streets in Bangalore have a useable footpath and are made cycle-friendly as per the Comprehensive NMT Plan & Action plan by DULT. Through this show of public opinion, the good citizens of Bengaluru want its elected leadership to show favourable political will in achieving what no other major city in India has done. Political will is directly proportional to the groundswell of public support. Help this petition reach every Bangalorean so we can proudly put our city on the map of global cities that not just beat the pandemic but shine its light to others in making brave new changes. Sign the petition NOW!