The ABC of change

‘It is healthy, eco-friendly and fun,’ that’s the motto of Athi’s bicycle club. With petrol prices hiked for the fourth time in one year, and growing environmental concerns taking centre stage, M S Athirup’s brainchild Athi’s Bicycle Club (ABC) offers a much-needed breather from these woes.  ABC, which has been operational for a while, will be relaunched next week here with upgraded software.About 50 cycles have been spread across 10 stands at prime locations in the city such as North and South railway station, Menaka Junction, High Court Junction, Panampilly Nagar, Vyttila and Padma Junction, to name a few. Renting of bicycles basically works on a system of smses. Once you are registered with the club you can rent a cycle from any of its stands in the city. The registration is  simple and free of cost. At the stand, you can choose your bicycles and sms the concerned rack code and bicycle ID to 9645511155. The rent is Rs 2 per hour.  But it is not a smooth ride always. “Technical hassles come in the way. Delays in the sms system can pose trouble for the customers. Another issue is the lack of cycle lanes on  major roads in the city. The club is striving hard to overcome these difficulties,” says Athirup. Moreover, the mind-set of people has to change, he says. “While cycling is promoted abroad, with fine lanes provided, here cycles carry a low status tag. ABC aims to change that perception,” he adds.  With 1,200 members as part of it, the club’s popularity has been growing. Bicycle tours of the city is its next big project. It plans to establish stands at bus terminals and tie up with the tourism department. What started as a passion and a hobby has turned into a full-fledged business today. Athirup himself has participated in various cross-country bicycle expeditions. “Mountain biking is my favorite sport,” he says.ABC comes in handy at a time when cycling is an answer to various issues such as fuel hike, carbon footprint, traffic congestion, obesity, the hassles of parking and so on.