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Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult
Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult

Mint

time5 days ago

  • Health
  • Mint

Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult

Gift this article "This is what we call the death grip," Parag Patankar, the volunteer guiding me, said, not unkindly. He was right. Unconsciously, my arms had become ramrod stiff and I was holding the bicycle handlebars tightly, as if for dear life. My feet were firmly planted on the ground but I was a bundle of nerves as I sat astride the bicycle and viewed the gentle slope I was to go down with trepidation. "This is what we call the death grip," Parag Patankar, the volunteer guiding me, said, not unkindly. He was right. Unconsciously, my arms had become ramrod stiff and I was holding the bicycle handlebars tightly, as if for dear life. My feet were firmly planted on the ground but I was a bundle of nerves as I sat astride the bicycle and viewed the gentle slope I was to go down with trepidation. When other people turn 40, they set glamorous targets like running a marathon or going on an arduous trek. I decided to learn to ride a bicycle—child's play for those who know it but no less intimidating than summiting a mountain for adults like me who don't. Unlike driving, formalised avenues for adults to learn cycling are not aplenty. Online searches led me to Bangalore Bicycling School (BBS), a completely volunteer-led effort to teach adults how to cycle for free. It was an initiative which, I learnt later, was completing a decade this year. I messaged the phone number mentioned on the Facebook page, filled up a Google form and showed up at 8am on a Sunday at the designated spot in Bengaluru's Cubbon Park. That phone number belonged to Dr Ali Poonawala, a 68-year-old urologist and one of the moving spirits behind BBS. The wiry doctor will invariably be at Cubbon Park on Sunday mornings, as he has been for the last 10 years, guiding both the adults and children. Also read: Finding the music that you love BBS, he says, came about somewhat organically, a culmination of multiple factors. One was the 'Cycle Day" organised by Karnataka government's Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) around 2012-13, where a street would be cordoned off for cycling and other street activities. There, Dr Poonawala and a few fellow cycling enthusiasts noticed that there were adults who wanted to cycle but had never learnt. Around the same time, DULT also facilitated free cycle rentals in Cubbon Park to promote the activity. BBS kicked off lessons with those cycles. In those early days there would be the occasional Sunday when it would be just Dr Poonawala, the bicycles and a couple of banners donated by DULT. But he persisted. Dr Poonawala's resolve to teach adults was strengthened by something he had noticed while on holiday in Kodaikanal, where families would rent cycles near the lake. 'The father and children would go off on cycles, while the mother would be left behind. I would feel upset because that's not how it should be—everyone should be cycling together." What he had seen was yet another reflection of the gender gap in cycling in India. According to Census 2011, only 4.7% women used bicycles to commute compared to 21.7% men, among the working population. Another analysis of cycling internationally found that on average, 'females were one-tenth as likely to cycle compared to males in Indian cities". The learner demographic at BBS also bears this out. Patankar, the instructor I first met and a regular volunteer, estimates that 80-90% of students are women. 'We've tried asking why. What we've seen is, some women just did not get the chance to learn when they were young—perhaps no one in the family thought it was important to teach them. If they had male siblings, the boys went out and learnt from their friends," says Patankar who, in true Bengaluru tradition, is also the co-founder of a software product firm. Other volunteers include professionals spanning software, real estate and finance sectors. Reflecting on his comment later, I realised this was true for me, too—my brother learnt to cycle from his friends while I did not. Patankar broadly categorises the adult students into three. Those over 50 for whom learning to ride is typically a bucket list goal. Those aged 30-50, whose motivation may be fitness, for errands in the vicinity or to join family and friends who ride. And those below 30, who plan to graduate to a scooter. On his part, Dr Poonawala describes a typical learner as someone aged 35-40. 'She feels she's been left out, looks online and finds us." Again, me. Regardless of the category, Patankar says BBS provides a safe space. The need for this was again reinforced by Dr Poonawala's personal experience, when his wife, Dr Fatima, wanted to learn cycling over a decade ago. 'I felt I was missing out on a lot of fun because he loves cycling," says the 67-year-old who adds it took her several sessions, multiple trainers and cycles till that 'eureka moment" when she could do it on her own. Dr Poonawala jokes that husbands are the worst teachers but the experience, he says, taught him that adult learners need a safe, non-judgemental space. The group has developed training manuals and a teaching process that continues to evolve. The biggest hurdle for an adult learner, as I can personally aver, is the fear of falling. 'That fear grows as the person gets older," says Dr Poonawala. Unlike children, adults can also come with other inhibitions and, possibly, baggage involving previous attempts. I had mine. The last time I tried to learn, I accidentally bumped into a senior citizen, leaving both of us traumatised. It was only in my recent conversations that I found out that my then trainer, Anil Kadsur, was one of the founders of BBS who, unfortunately, died a year ago. It somehow felt right that I was trying again with something he had helped launch. Despite their inhibitions, learners keep turning up—including women in their 60s. On a phone call, Annapoorni (she requested that only her first name be used), who is now 74 and describes herself as a 'health freak", recalls feeling nervous on the way to her first lesson. Acquaintances who heard about her derring-do questioned why the then 66-year-old wanted to learn 'at this age". But within three-four sessions and despite a fall, she learnt to ride. 'I was over the moon," she says, the excitement in her voice palpable even eight years later. Other memorable alumni include a group of women working in garment factories, who were taught in an initiative with Greenpeace. However, Dr Poonawala regrets that there were no follow-ups on the non-profit's part about whether the women continue to ride. In general, tracking whether learners keep cycling has been a challenge. 'Of the thousands who have gone through BBS training, what fraction would be riding regularly? I struggle with this question," says Patankar, who estimates it would be a small share who cycle even once a month. Dr Poonawala says the lack of follow-up is a criticism levelled against them but adds that the volunteers have their limitations. With classes only on Sunday mornings, a cherished time, there is also a churn among trainers. Attempts to replicate the model in other parts of the city have typically not endured for longer than a year because of this. Currently, about three-four instructors come every Sunday from 8-10am, to assist 10-15 learners at various stages. Dr Poonawala and Patankar say they persist out of their passion for cycling and to 'increase their tribe". It helps that some alumni also volunteer. Among them is Aman Sabherwal, a 35-year-old finance professional. On a visit to Cubbon Park, she was convinced by Patankar to get on a bicycle for the first time since she was in an accident when she was six years old. Sabherwal says she volunteers whenever she can. 'That feeling of seeing others riding freely on their own and that smile on their faces makes me happy," she says. I know that smile. It's the same one I flashed towards the end of that first session when I found, to my utter surprise and elation, that I was finally riding a bicycle, all by myself. Indulekha Aravind is an independent journalist. She posts @indulekha_a. Also read: 'I Am on the Hit List': A deep dive into Gauri Lankesh's murder Topics You May Be Interested In

Bengaluru's commercial streets go pay & park way
Bengaluru's commercial streets go pay & park way

Time of India

time04-05-2025

  • Automotive
  • Time of India

Bengaluru's commercial streets go pay & park way

Bengaluru now has 1.25 crore vehicles, with almost every person owning vehicle. However, parking facilities have not kept pace with this increase, leading to severe parking shortages –Official The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is planning to implement a pay-and-park system in the city's commercial areas. In the first phase, the system will be introduced on 14 streets, including prominent ones like MG Road, Brigade Road, and Commercial Street. The system will involve charging fees for parking on these roads, with the management being outsourced to a contractor. Following this, vehicle owners will be required to pay fees to park their vehicles on these streets. The new system is part of the city's 'Parking Policy 2.0', developed by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), which aims to extend the pay-and-park system across all city official said, 'As the city's population grows, so does the number of vehicles. Bengaluru now has 1.25 crore vehicles, with almost every person owning a vehicle. However, parking facilities have not kept pace with this increase, leading to severe parking shortages. New buildings are not being designed with adequate parking spaces, and many buildings do not offer parking spaces proportional to the number of units. As a result, vehicles are often parked on streets, exacerbating traffic congestion.'DULT estimates that providing parking for just 50% of the city's vehicles would require 13,000 acres of land. If the current rate of vehicle growth continues, Bengaluru will see four times the number of vehicles in the next decade, further straining the city's tackle this issue, DULT has introduced a comprehensive parking management plan, hoping to reduce private vehicle usage and encourage the use of public this plan has not yet been fully implemented. The city's traffic problems, especially in commercial districts, continue to worsen due to insufficient parking provisions. As part of the new initiative, commercial buildings are now required to have separate parking arrangements or reserve basement levels for parking. However, adherence to this regulation remains anticipates an annual revenue of ₹7 crore from the pay-and-park system in the first phase, with the scheme being implemented on 14 key commercial streets. Roads like Church Street, St Mark's Road, Museum Road, Lavelle Road, and Kasturba Road are already covered under this system. Private contractors have been given the task of managing these the new system, two-wheelers will be charged ₹15 per hour, and cars will be charged ₹30 per hour. However, the pricing has been criticised for being expensive. There is also a lack of clarity regarding how much will be charged for vehicles parked for more than an had previously contracted a private company, Central Parking Services, to implement a smart parking system on 85 commercial streets in the city centre. Although some roads saw the introduction of parking fees, the system was later suspended. The future of smart parking remains uncertain.

Monsoon and bus operations delay Hubballi bus stand renovation
Monsoon and bus operations delay Hubballi bus stand renovation

Time of India

time25-04-2025

  • General
  • Time of India

Monsoon and bus operations delay Hubballi bus stand renovation

Hubballi: Renovation of the new bus stand in Hubballi, originally set for completion in June, was pushed to Aug. The Rs 23.4 crore project, jointly funded by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and NWKRTC , began in Feb 2024 but faced delays due to the monsoon and ongoing bus operations. The bus stand deteriorated significantly, with leaking roofs and cracked floors. After seeing the worst condition of the New Bus Stand, which was constructed 25 years ago, the authorities of NWKRTC sent a proposal to upgrade it for the approval of the govt. Later, the govt sanctioned grants for renovation. Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy performed Bhoomi Puja for renovation, and work started in Feb 2024. Divakar Yaragoppa, NWKRTC chief engineer, told TOI that the work commenced without stopping operations of the buses. "The work was delayed during the last monsoon. Construction of platforms is being carried out. We have instructed the contractor to finish the work within the time frame. Fifty-three platforms have to be constructed and work on around 27 has been completed. Space for city operations and front elevation is pending. Buses toward Belagavi are moving from the platform. Platforms for Bengaluru, Davanagere, etc., have to be constructed. We have taken up a lot of work to provide facilities for the passengers," he said. Yaragoppa said that the contractor is facing hardship working with the bus operations. "We have convinced the contractor, and work is being carried out. Passenger facilities like a cloakroom, ATM, baby-care, lounge, ladies' room, drinking water, redevelopment of the parking lot, etc., are being added. Flooring in the public area, tactile flooring at the platform area, front facade reconstruction with cladding and structural glazing, upgrading ticketing counters, construction and renovation of toilets, concreting of the bus driveway and idle bus parking area are being taken up," he informed. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Greenwich: Born Between 1940-1975 You May Be Eligible For This Life Cover Reassured Get Quote Undo Sridhar Halakatti, a passenger, said that public transport facilities have to be provided at the earliest. The work has been going on for a year. Many passengers suffer without facilities and have to wait to catch a bus. The renovation work should be completed soon, he urged. NWKRTC managing director, Priyanga M, was not available for comments.

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