Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said that cycling is the best and cheapest form of exercise to keep ourselves healthy and people must be encouraged to adopt such environment-friendly mode of transport.

Naidu was addressing a gathering of cyclists and environmentalists after inaugurating the Bicycle Rally and NDMC’s Smart Cycle Station for Public Bike Sharing, on the occasion of the first World Bicycle Day, in New Delhi on Sunday.

Unveiling smart cycle on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 2018, in New Delhi today. #WorldBicycleDay pic.twitter.com/KPi5AOnI2i

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— VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) June 3, 2018

Naidu said that the campaign to promote the use of bicycle must be taken up on a sustained basis and it should not be confined to a ritualistic exercise on the World Bicycle Day.

It gives me immense pleasure to flag off ‘World Bicycle Day Ride’ on the first official #WorldBicycleDay. Happy that New Delhi is one of the three cities in the world where major events are being organized to mark the day. Berlin & Times Square, New York being other two places. pic.twitter.com/Ff3ZM9CwJL

— VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) June 3, 2018

Naidu said that one should not see World Bicycle Day as a mere symbolic exercise and said that it addresses two most pressing problems like growing environmental pollution and rising lifestyle diseases.

The first World Bicycle Day is not a mere symbolic exercise. It seeks to focus our attention on two of the most pressing problems the world is confronted with today—growing environmental pollution and rising lifestyle diseases. #WorldBicycleDay pic.twitter.com/jjE79XF0II

— VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) June 3, 2018

Talking about the rising pollution levels, Naidu said that many cities the world over have virtually turned into chimneys due to pollution and the gases emitted from vehicles.

Naidu said that the time has come for cities and other urban places to promote bicycling in a big way.

Dedicated bicycling tracks to be created in our cities and people have to be encouraged to pedal their way to better health, he added.

“Bicycling will greatly help in reducing adverse health outcomes. Apart from burning calories, strengthening muscles and promoting fitness, bicycling daily will reduce the risk for heart diseases and cancers,” he added.

The time has come for cities and other urban places to promote bicycling in a big way. Special bicycling tracks need to be created and people have to be encouraged to pedal their way to better health. pic.twitter.com/BAqKVmjX1V

— VicePresidentOfIndia (@VPSecretariat) June 3, 2018

Naidu also complemented the authorities of NDMC for starting Smart Cycle Station for Public Bike Sharing in New delhi and said that similar initiatives are needed elsewhere in the country and the youth in particular must take full advantage of such facilities.

The Union Minister for Science & Technology; Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.