One of the joys of growing up in Chennai through the 1980s and 90s was the cyclist-friendly inner roads that most localities had.
Those were the decades when cycle rentals thrived, some shops renting them out for as little as a rupee for an hour. But the past decade has seen a disproportionate rise in use of personal motorised transport that has nearly wiped out cycling as a mode of transport.
However, there is now a revival of cycling, not just for leisure, but more due to the growing interest in fitness, especially in the wake of marathon running gaining popularity.
M. Vikram, one of the coordinators of Anna Nagar-based ‘Tower Twisters,’ a collective of long-distance runners and trainers, says more than 40 runners from the group have taken to cycling as a means of ‘cross training,’ a key preparation technique for marathons. “Every week, we are attempting one 40 to 50 km ride, and every month, a 100 to 120-km ride. Most of our runners are ready to invest over Rs. 20,000 on a good cycle,” he says.
T. Krishnappan, one of the cyclists, says there are a few challenges, but none that enthusiasm can’t overcome. “We start on some of our rides as early as 3.30 or 4 a.m. The most preferred cycling route is East Coast Road. Sometimes if we start from Anna Nagar that early, we can even return before the heavy vehicle traffic picks up, which is usually around 9 a.m.,” he adds.
Cycle stores in the city have also started renting out costly bikes at daily rates ranging from Rs. 350-450. “A lot of customers are wary about investing around Rs. 30,000- 50,000 on good cycles, but they also want to find out the comfort of riding one,” says T. Radhakrishnan of Cyclogens store in Mylapore, one of the few stores that give cycles on rent.
The need to curb those marketing calls
A video circulating on Whatsapp calls to attention the need for a stricter rule on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ facility, which ensures users are not called by mobile phone and marketing companies.
In the video for traffic awareness, a biker receives numerous calls on his phone while riding, and when he finally takes it, finds out it is a marketing call. He rams into another vehicle while taking the call and dies.
Though the motorist is apparently at fault for attending the call, the fault also lies with marketing companies for making such persistent calls. The traffic awareness video titled ‘Request Don’t Disturb’, produced by Vijaya Bhaskar, brings into focus the hazards of talking while riding or driving, and also the distractions caused by the nagging phone calls made by marketing companies.
A senior officer of the city traffic police stressed the importance of motorists avoiding taking phone calls, even by using headphones. He said the traffic police have been creating awareness on following traffic rules and regulations. It has been penalising those found violating the Central Motor Vehicles Rules by using a mobile phone while driving. He added that the video would be uploaded on their social media platform for creating awareness.
M. Radhakrishnan, founder of Thozhan, pointed out that while mobile phone companies offer the ‘Do Not Disturb’ facility, there are no provisions with regard to telephone marketing. He called for regulations to rein in marketing calls, and also stressed that companies should self-regulate calls made to subscribers.
