Students set green trend with ‘bicycle brigade’

KOCHI: To promote a healthy and environment-friendly lifestyle among students, bicycle brigades are being formed under the ‘Cycle with Kochi’ project of the corporation and Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML). As part of this, a bicycle brigade was recently formed at Shri Gujarati Vidyalaya High School in Mattanchery.

Prakash P Gopinath, who is coordinating the ‘Cycle with Kochi’ project, says: “In Fort Kochi and Mattanchery, more than 80% of the students cycle to school. Not just students, even residents use bicycles. Though the city has a cycling culture, there is still no safety for cyclists on roads. The bicycle brigades being formed in schools will help in forming safer routes for the students. Over 150 students have already become a part of the brigade.”

This is the second bicycle brigade launched in a city school. The first was launched at Bhavans Vidya Mandir at Elamakkara on World Bicycle Day on June 3. “We are planning to work with the local administration so that the traffic can be curtailed from 9am to 9.30am on the way to the school,” says Prakash. “This will send a message to the public that roads are also for cyclists and their safety should be considered.”

As part of ‘Gift a Cycle’ campaign under the project, a bicycle was handed over to a student of the school.
The bicycle brigades comprise student and teacher coordinators who would identify safe routes for students by associating with the local traffic police.Zeenath M A, secretary of Indus Cycling Embassy Sheroes which is the first women’s cycling club in Kochi, is coordinating the bicycle brigade of the Gujarati school.

Zeenath says, “This is the first time that I am doing this and we are currently making a cycle route for the students. We are planning to give cycling training to students after their school hours. Bicycle trains, where a group of students cycle together, will be formed. When a group of students cycle together, it will also help in ensuring their safety.”  The plan is to establish bicycle brigades in schools across 74 wards in Kochi corporation who will be coordinated by bicycle champions who will ensure smooth rollout of the initiative.