Men on mission: Cycle from Wagah to Mumbai

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 19

To create awareness about the importance of cycling, three men from Mumbai have set out on the tour from the Wagah Border to Mumbai.

Jugal Kishore, a retired civil engineer, Rajesh Sharma, a marine engineer and Raj Mahatre, a professional cyclist, halted at the city on their way to Mumbai.

Jugal Kishore Sharma (68) who is taking second such trip said he took to cycling four years ago. “We are on a self-sponsored trip. We want to create awareness about the benefits of cycling and the need to control the indiscriminate use of motor vehicles to save the environment,” he said.

Rajesh Sharma (52) said they started from the border on February 14 and planned to reach Mumbai in about 22 days. “We are stopping at every 100-metre distance and spreading the message about the need for cycling,” he said.

He said cycling must be promoted by all. “People are spending thousands of rupees for fitness, why not simply cycle your way to work?” he said.

“The increasing fetish for high-end cycles is a good sign. Lately, cycling has been perceived as a poor man’s transport. With increasing demand for luxury cycles, the society’s perception is changing. Real change will be when the masses start cycling to their work and not just consider it to be a leisure activity,” he said.

“The government must also promote cycling. It would save nation’s fuel resources. It can also reduce expenditure on healthcare by curbing several health problems and vehicular pollution,” Rajesh Sharma said.

Jugal Kishore Sharma said, “You cannot enjoy and appreciate what is happening in the surroundings if you are travelling in a car or other motor vehicle. Cycling enables you to do that.”