Cyclists from all walks of life came together to advocate for freedom of riding a cycle on the Kolkata roads.

The cyclists urged the authorities to remove cycle restrictions, which have impacted their daily movement on Kolkata roads. The event was joined by livelihood cyclists- who use a cycle for their daily commutes like those delivering essentials like newspaper, milk, ration, and other goods as well as cycling enthusiasts, cycling groups, IT professionals, sportsperson, doctors, and business heads among others.

The objective of the meeting was to collectively advocate for the removal of current restrictions on cycling across 62 major roads in Kolkata. Cycle restrictions are a hindrance to the lives and livelihoods of people who use cycling as their sole mode of transportation in the city.

The event was organized to demonstrate the need for transforming Kolkata into a cycle-friendly city by incorporating cycling-friendly infrastructures. It was inspired by an Open Letter addressed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which received an overwhelming response from several eminent personalities like authors Amitav Ghosh and Ruskin Bond, singer Usha Uttup, photojournalist Raghu Rai, actor, and film-maker Aparna Sen, among others. An online signature campaign drive through an online petition started on change.org and jhatka have received over 15,000+ signatures.

The event began in the morning with cyclists coming in small groups holding banners and placards that had messages addressed to the Chief Minister. The event also displayed an open message board collecting signatures of citizens actively supporting the need for cycling in the city for congestion-free roads, clean air, and securing livelihoods dependent on cycle mobility.

This was followed by a press conference organized at the Press Club Hall with prominent stakeholders like secretaries of newspaper and milk associations, daily cycle commuters, etc voicing their concerns on how the present cycle restrictions have been affecting their livelihoods.