\'Ditch cars, bikes to reclaim streets\': Cycling body chief Sir Graham Watson

HYDERABAD: “Give a child a cycle, you will give him freedom, it makes lot of psychological impact. Cycling infrastructure needs to be built in the cities, especially cities like Hyderabad,” said Sir Graham Watson, president of the World Cycling Alliance (WCA), in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Deccan Chronicle caught up with him during his visit to the city to inaugurate a cycling club at the Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet.

Dr D.V. Manohar, first vice-president, WCA, T. Satyanarayana Reddy, president, Hyderabad Bicycling Club, Gusti J. Noria, president, Hyderabad Public School Society, and Dr Madhav Deo Saraswat, Principal, HPS, were also present.

In his interaction with the DC, Sir Graham Watson said he was surprised to know that the first bicycling club in Hyderabad was set up way back in 1890, far ahead of many western countries.

Sir Graham Watson is a former chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Citizens’ Rights, Justice & Home co-founder and former chairman of the climate parliament.

Edited excerpts of an interview:

Q. What is your take on the traffic situation in the city?

A. Traffic is terrible in this city but it’s better than in many other cities. You have better public transport connectivity than many cities in India.

Q. Can cycles be brought back onto roads in this heavy traffic?

A. Once a week, all cyclists must come out and cycle together. People are now reclaiming the streets and roads for cycling.

Q. In a country like India, which is densely populated, especially the urban cities, can cycles provide a viable transport option?

A. Yes, it can be achieved. Don’t look at cars and bikes as status symbols; we should look at them as modes of transport. This will lead to the use of cycles and will help in climate change situations. Schoolchildren should be encouraged to make use of cycles and public transport and when these children are on roads, they should be given a safe way.

Q. In your experience as a European Parliamentarian, what would you recommend Indian policymakers do in this context?

A. My first recommendation would be to tell them not to imagine it’s impossible to change the way people think. Secondly, government officials should visit places where cycles are widely used to learn the subtleties and policies to implement similar schemes.