Pune: Cycle Enthusiasts Helping Poor, Needy In Getting Cycles For Commute

Mihir Shete

Pune, 27th May 2021: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of the public transport is shut, many people who cannot afford a vehicle are finding it difficult to commute. However, Anand Vanjape and Nilesh Shinde, both cycling enthusiasts from Pune, have come forward to help those in need. They have initiated a programme Pedal Mission in which they collect old or unused bicycles and repair them, and then with the help of their network, they donate the repaired bicycles to the poor and needy.

“In current circumstances, we must avoid crowding. Many people depend upon public transport for their commute. Public transport is not convenient for many people as it also involves crowding. Bicycles solve both problems. I am a cycling enthusiast myself and have been using a bicycle for my daily commute for over 10 years. People are unaware of the cycles lying in the parking and their reuse potential. They usually sell it to the scrap dealers in the end, but if repaired in time, these cycles can be used by those in need,” Anand said.

Vanjape, with the help of social worker Shinde, conceptualized the programme six months ago. After arranging resources, they started it a week ago.

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Vanjape informed that not only his friends and colleagues came forward to help but some anonymous people also came forward to donate money for spare parts, etc. “Many cycling enthusiasts support us by recommending and getting old and unused cycles. Social and print media help us in reaching out to people. Whoever wants to donate a bicycle in Pune, can WhatsApp or message their name, contact number, and address. Our team will collect the bicycle. Then after repairing it, we take the help of the social organizations for distribution. Sometimes, people who need it also approach us directly for bicycles,” Vanjape continued.

Vanjape and Shinde are the founder members of the squad and are joined by volunteers. Of which, some collect bicycles, while some generous people pay for the spare parts. Some workshops even repair the cycles for free.

Vanjape said that they are targeting to distribute around 200 cycles on August 15 this year and are in the process of collecting cycles. So far, they have managed to collect 45 bicycles.

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“We want to have more cyclists and develop a cycling culture in the city. We have received an overwhelming response which was anticipated but not to this extent. Everyone is welcome to share the content. It is open-source,” he said energetically.

How to donate

To reach out to Anand Vanjape, one can WhatsApp or send a text message on +91 9890998644.

म्युकरमायकोसिस’चा वाढता धोका पुणे महानगरपालिका राबविणार शोध मोहीम

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