In Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, almost 80 % of the students cycle to school. “A culture of cycling exists in Kochi. What is required is to create a safe environment for them,” says Prakash P Gopinath, the bicycle mayor of Thiruvananthapuram who is coordinating the Cycle With Kochi project launched in October 2021.
To do that, there are plans to work with the local administration to curtail traffic between 9 am and 9.30 am when most schools open. “It should be a message for the public that the road is also for cyclists and that we care for our children,” says Prakash
On World Bicycle Day, June 3, Bicycle Brigades will be inaugurated at Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir in Elamakkara as they launch in Ernakulam District’s schools. These will comprise student and teacher co-coordinators, who will identify safe routes for students who cycle to school by liaising with local traffic police and Student Police Cadets. “The main aim of forming these cycling clubs in schools is to integrate the culture of using non-motorized transport, and a healthy and non-polluting way of life in students,” says Prakash.
