More than a thousand Bengalureans have vowed to walk or cycle to destinations within 15 minutes of their home. Their goal is to shun motor vehicles for short trips, and with that, bring down vehicular congestion and pollution in the city.
They are participating in a campaign called #My15MinCity, conceived by Council for Active Mobility (CFAM).
“Walking or cycling to your nearest trip will not only ease the traffic congestion in the city but also enhance your physical and mental wellness,” says Sathya Sankaran, founder of CFAM and bicycle mayor of Bengaluru.
It can also make a difference to the city’s air quality. “Almost 40% of emissions in Bengaluru come from vehicles. In order to beat this, citizens will have to at least use cycles or walk whenever possible,” he says.
To motivate people, Sathya’s team has set up an online leaderboard (cfam.in) to keep track of how many people are cycling on a daily basis, from which ward, and for how long. “The statistics are updated every day without fail,” he points out.
CFAM has about 30 volunteers and mobility councillors promoting the campaign. They are holding cycle days, awareness drives, and meet-and-greet programmes. This Rajyotsava, 50 members cycled for about 100 km to draw attention to the campaign.
Over 1,000 city dwellers have pledged to be a part of the #My15MinCity campaign and most are actively influencing others to join in too.