Vadodara is gearing up towards a greener future. How so? The Vadodara municipal corporation is going to start a rent-a-cycle scheme in Vadodara in the middle of the year. This means that electric bikes, bikes with gear and gearless bikes will be available for rent on a very nominal fee to the people in the city. Around 1000 bikes will be put out for rent at Sayaji Baug and MS University. These bikes are locked and can be accessed through a application and are equipped with a GPS tracking system. This is a part of the smart city project by the government. Similar projects have been started in cities like Ahmedabad, Surat and even Nashik in the country. This is not only a start to cut down on transport pollution, but cycling is a more economical way to travel as well, which might make this the preferred mode of transport. Cycles are readily available for use to the general public in countries like France, Italy and Germany.

Author-Sweta Joshi