Gurgaon gears up to campaign for ‘active commuting’

A three-month-long campaign to promote active commuting and use of non-motorised transport will soon be launched in the city with support from various groups, including software and services companies’ body Nasscom, Rapid Metro and citizens’ group Non-Motorised Transport Cell.

“The aim of the campaign is to help Gurgaon compete with modern European cities which are shifting towards adopting non-motorised public transport. The city should develop infrastructure to live up its name: Millennium city,” says Manas Fuloria, co-founder and executive vice-president, Nagarro Software, which is a part of Nasscom.

Prabhat Agarwal, member of Non-Motorised Transport Cell, said there were various reasons to encourage this campaign — increasing traffic chaos, air pollution levels and harmful effects of using only cars. “Roads are for people to move and not cars. However, the current infrastructure supports only the movement of cars. We need more facilities for safe commuting of pedestrians and cyclists and more sustainable transport systems,” said Agarwal.

The campaign will end with a live concert by Euphoria which has already recorded an anthem for the campaign and is currently working on a video which will feature people and landmarks of Gurgaon.

As a part of the campaign, a signature campaign will be started to demand more buses and cycle paths in the city. Meetings will also be held with officials from the district administration, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, Haryana Urban Development Authority and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructural Development Corporation to propose more public transport options. Besides, billboards will be put up and posters and bumper stickers propagating active commuting will be distributed.

As part of the Nasscom initiative, activities like quizzes, games and audio-visual presentations will be prepared for employees of affiliated IT-BPO companies and other firms. Another plan is to engage the companies to create area-wise plans to improve transport.