On a sunny Friday morning, the familiar tring tring of a cycle bell fills the air in Auroville. For some of the Aurovilleans it’s a sign that a letter is on its way. Perumal the postman parks his glitzy new cycle and hops across to hand over a small package. He has just made a transition from motorbike to an electric cycle for his daily routine of delivering letters. “It’s been 10 days now. I am enjoying it. It’s also a great workout,” smiles Perumal. The 23-year-old says the new cycle doesn’t need maintenance, is easy to pedal and is better for the environment.
Debo, one of the co-founders of Kinisi — an e-cycle sales and rental company in Auroville — along with Matthias and Marlyse, says, “We thought for the short distance of three to four kilometres within Auroville it makes sense to use these cycles. Mopeds and motorbikes release carbon emissions and add to the noise and environmental pollution. These cycles are charged with renewable energy that comes from solar and the wind. We spoke to the Auroville Foundation and decided on behalf of the township to gift one of these e-cycles to the Auroville Post Office.” He believes all post offices should eventually do the same.
Kinisi has added extra fittings to this particular cycle to make it more delivery-friendly for the postman. There are extra saddle bags and carriers for him to pile his letters and parcels, says Debo. A postman with a motorbike goes door to door, turning the ignition on and off and parks the motorbike before each stop. E-cycles, on the other hand, eliminate those hassles and are efficient as they are easy to pedal as opposed to a manual variant.
