Freedom Ride

Jayesh Ranjan, Managing Director, Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) on Thursday gave a categorical assurance that the city would soon boast of a 30-kilometre cycling track in the Madhapur-Gachibowli vicinity. The track has been conceptualised given the interest shown by IT professionals, and also to motivate them to take to cycling for improving their health and reducing pollution.

There was a large number of software employees, students, professional and amateur cyclists, who had turned up at the GMC Balayogi Athletics stadium early Thursday morning for the Freedom Ride-2013 that commemorated the 67th Independence Day celebrations. This is fifth successive year that The Atlanta Foundation has organised the run in collaboration with prominent industry captains, including from NASSCOM, ITS and FICCI.

The senior bureaucrat said that the stretch would be a joint endeavour between APIIC, GHMC, Cyberabad Police, with technical assistance coming from Atlanta Foundation and Hyderabad Bicycling Club (HBC). Participating riders came from MNCs like ADP, Wells Fargo, DuPont, and Google among several other big names. In a noble endeavour, the proceeds raised from the ride would be used to support quality education to students from government schools.

The prelude to the ride was the unfurling of the national tri-colour by government school students. Immediately, thereafter, 66 women, symbolizing the 66 years since Independence, took out a colourful rally that was cheered along the route.

Amid the Freedom Run, the organizers also lined up a Signature Ride and a Joy Ride in addition to exciting games like Diebold Kurrency Challenge Game, wherein the participant had to match the currency of a particular country with its respective national flag. Like it happens with any exhibition, the occasion was used as a vehicle for marketing one’s wares. Several cycle manufacturers, spare-part manufacturers and retailers, unveiled the latest range of bicycles, much to the delight of the potential cyclists.

Shilpa Shah of Yellow Jersey said that there was an increase in the demand for foldable cycles as they were easier to carry. Gokul Krishna of Bike Affair said that the city folk preferred long distance cycle rides. He said, “People are riding for 200-300km on cycles. It has become a new trend and gradually emerging as the new status symbol.” Champion cyclist from the State, Raman Garimella, “Way back during my schooling it was almost a ritual to attend flag hoisting function. For me it is now the Freedom Ride that beckons me.”

The overall enthusiasm was best summed by one veteran, who still made it to the stadium ‘Thank God, good old bicycling is fast catching as the new mode of transportation by today’s youth.’ Indeed, cycling is catching up, thick and fast.