New Delhi, Feb 11 Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya met cycle manufacturers on Tuesday to discuss strategies, including offering incentives, for promoting cycling nationwide and boosting the momentum of the ‘Fit India Sundays on Cycle’ initiative.
The cycle manufacturers pledged to explore innovative ways to engage with the cycling community by way of incentivisation, promote cycling as a lifestyle, and contribute to the development of a vibrant cycling culture in India.
The minister told the manufacturers, "I cycle regularly to Parliament because of my passion. Cycling is the solution to multiple issues, including obesity and pollution. We need to make cycling fashionable, link it to health benefits, and market it effectively."
The Union minister urged manufacturers to offer incentives to encourage cycling across all age groups. "We need to attach cycling with tangible benefits -- such as carbon credits for riders, free helmets, or exclusive membership perks for regular cyclists. Incentives will naturally drive people towards cycling," he emphasised.
Mandaviya also highlighted the potential for a growing demand for cycles to drive infrastructure development. "We need to work together to build a cycling culture, not just sell cycles. We must engage school children, office goers, and the masses by offering incentives," he added.
The Union Minister launched the cycling drive at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the national capital on December 17, 2023, to encourage cycling as a sustainable, healthy, and environment-friendly mode of transportation.
Over the past nine weeks, ‘Sundays on Cycle’ has been organised at more than 3,500 locations across the country, witnessing the participation of over 2 lakh riders from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu and from Kolkata to Aurangabad.
The ‘Fit India Sundays on Cycle’ is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), in collaboration with the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and MY Bharat.
Events are simultaneously held nationwide at SAI Regional Centres, National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) and the Khelo India Centres (KICs).
The riders at the Sundays on Cycle have included Indian Army jawans, postmen from India Post, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), prominent sports stars like Lovlina Borgohain, Sangram Singh, Shanky Singh, Nitu Ghanghas, Saweety Boora, Preeti Pawar, Rubina Francis and Simran Sharma as well as celebrities like Amit Sial, Rahul Bose and Gul Panag.
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