City-based IT professionals, Bhushan Agrawal and Dinesh Shenvi, will kick off their 5-day cycling expedition from Pune to Goa on December 25 to create awareness among the general public about the importance of road safety.
The duo will cover 100-120 km per day, halting at various locations and sensitising the locals about road safety on their way to Goa.
Shenvi said that the rising number of road accidents every year, and their love for cycling brought about this
expedition. “India tops the list of deaths in road accidents, and especially in a city like Pune, people do not have traffic sense. The two of us love cycling, and we are simply using our hobby as a medium to spread awareness,” Shenvi said.
For over a year, Agrawal and Shenvi have been cycling together covering a distance of 20 km daily. However, this is the first time the duo is going on a long expedition as a team.
“At every halt, we will talk to the locals about the basic safety measures one can adopt while on the road. As fuel prices are going up and pollution is increasing, we will also promote cycling as an alternative and eco-friendly mode of transport,” said Agrawal. The two will use pamphlets and demonstrations to explain the basic rules and safety measures to people. According to Agrawal, road accident is something that can be prevented easily, yet it is one of the biggest killers in the world.
“When you lose someone close to you in an accident, you realise the importance of wearing a helmet and following traffic rules. Daily reports of deaths in newspapers touched our hearts, so we decided to do something about it,” said Agrawal.
The cyclist duo will follow the Pune-Satara-Kolhapur-Nipani route on National Highway 4 to Kolangad, Goa, on National Highway 17 and end their expedition on
December 30.
