With the intent to develop a long term behavioural change in citizens towards taking up walking & cycling and to make city leaders as walking and cycling champions in each city, Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched two unique initiatives for the first time: “Freedom2Walk&Cycle Challenge for City Leaders” & “Inter-City Freedom2Walk&Cycle Challenge for Citizens” between 1st to 26th January 2022. MoHUA hosted an online awards event on 17th February to recognise the top performing cities and city leaders in both the Challenges. The event also laid out the goals that cities from India Cycles4Change, Streets4People & Transport4All Challenges will be working towards 2023. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) is the knowledge partner of Smart Cities Mission for the above mentioned initiatives.
Impact of the Challenges
The City Leaders Challenge saw registration from nearly 130 city leaders from across the country, comprising of Commissioners, Additional/Joint/Deputy Commissioners, Smart City CEOs and key SPV officials who jointly clocked in nearly 47,000kms of cycling, 7000kms of walking and 2500kms of running during the Challenge! The Citizens Challenge saw an overwhelming participation from nearly 22,000 citizens from the 75 registered cities, who jointly clocked in nearly 9,80,000km of cycling, 1,82,000 km of walking and 9,350 km of running.
The journey of the Freedom2Walk&Cycle Challenge
Awards
The awards for the City Leaders Challenge were given to the following categories for their performance between 1st to 26th Jan 2022:
1. Cities with maximum kilometers
2. City leaders with maximum kilometers
3. Woman city leaders with maximum kilometers
4. City leaders with maximum time spent in activities
5. City leaders with maximum number of activities during challenge
6. Awards for Ministers, CEOs & Commissioners with maximum kilometers
7. Super Hero Award.
The awards for the Citizens Challenge were given to the following categories for their performance between 1st to 26th Jan 2022:
1. Cities with maximum kilometers.
2. Cities with maximum registrations.
Towards sustaining the momentum beyond the challenge, the participating cities are in the process of signing pledges committing towards institutionalising activities like Cycle2Work, Open Street Events, Pedestrian Days and physical infrastructure to improve walking and cycling in cities.
18 Cities – Ajmer, Nashik, Rajkot, Lucknow, Kalyan Dombivli, Bhubaneswar, Jabalpur, Tumakuru, Surat, Valsad, Dahod, Nagpur, Ranchi, Chandigarh, Kakinada, Ujjain, Pimpri Chinchwad, Indore have signed the pledges so far. Aurangabad, Jaipur, Davanagere, Sagar, Pune are in the process.
Quotes from city leaders on the Freedom2Walk&Cycle Challenge
“I have started cycling more often to work and for recreation over the last couple of years. Not only have I become more physically and mentally fit, it has given me a different perspective towards looking at the city and its needs. Cycling is a humble yet very powerful tool that can transform the cities we live in. I urge all city leaders and citizens to experience their cities through walk and cycle and become champions who inspire others”
Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary, Smart Cities Mission, MoHUA
“The Challenge is an excellent initiative that brought me closer to my old love, cycling. The consistency of the other participants and the appreciation from my fellow colleagues has been motivating me every single day to clock in a ride. I also urge my fellow women leaders to break the stereotypes and take to cycling. It has empowered me and I’m sure it will do so for you too. Let’s seek inspiration from Serena Williams, Krishna Punia, Mithali Raj, PV Sindhu and let’s choose to be more fit, enjoy the thrill, and contribute to making the planet green.”
Padmini Singh, Chief Account Officer, ASCL, Ajmer
“I am extremely grateful for the Freedom to Walk & Cycle Challenge for having triggered a regular walking habit and I look forward to continuing the walks even after the Challenge is complete! Overall, walking is a great solution for physical and mental health and I see the benefits first hand. It keeps my mind agile, fresh, active and focussed throughout the entire day! Over and above this, it is also a good environmental solution in times of climate change.Walking and cycling short distances to work, or to run small errands is absolutely doable by everyone. I urge my fellow colleagues, friends, other city leaders as well as citizens to pick up this habit as a way of life.”
Pallavi Bhagat, Deputy Commissioner, Kalyan Dombivli
“Initiatives like these challenges for city leaders and citizens have the potential to change your life and the culture of your city. My personal journey of walking and cycling started in 2014 through a similar official assignment and it has been one of my best decisions! It improved my physical fitness and my productivity at work. I have seen a huge impact of such interventions in the way people have responded to running, walking or cycling and it has also helped in bringing city leaders & citizens closer! I would strongly urge my fellow city officials and citizens to take up walking and cycling. Let’s start walking and commuting to work on cycle whenever possible and let’s make a difference together.”
Chetan Nandani, CEO Rajkot Smart City Development Ltd (RSCDL) & Dy. Municipal Commissioner, Rajkot Municipal Corporation
“It’s been heartening to see how citizens and city leaders embraced the two national level challenges and that nearly 15 cities have already signed pledges committing to institutionalisng initiatives that promote walking and cycling. It is campaigns like these that help instill long term behavioral change in citizens towards taking up walking & cycling!”
Aswathy Dilip, South Asia Director, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
From international leaders being an inspiration for us walking and cycling to work, our leaders are now being an inspiration worldwide! Being part of the coordinating team for the challenges, it was inspiring for us to see the level of participation and excitement that cities and city leaders showed for the two national level challenges! The impact numbers and experiences shared by city leaders reflect the success of this initiative.
A V Venugopal, Deputy Manager – Healthy Streets & Partnerships, ITDP India
Video testimonials from city leaders
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