Mangaluru: It is quite common that when a person becomes an elected representative, his lifestyle also changes accordingly. Though he is the representative of people he distances himself from meeting the general public and commutes in expensive cars.
However, this does not define Naveenchandra K, corporator of Kambla ward. Despite owning bike and car, this simple corporator has returned to owning a bicycle about a month ago to tour his ward.
Naveenchandra has been representing Kambla ward since 2002. He was elected as the corporator for the third time from the Kambla ward, which is the 29th ward of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC). When Naveenchandra was pursuing education in schools and colleges, he uses to peddle the bicycle. But, when he started earning, he purchased a motorbike and then a car too and cycle ceased to be an option.
What made him opt for bicycle?
There was a conference in Bengaluru four years ago, in which Naveenchandra and another corporators participated. During the conference, Poland-based two resources persons delivered talk on the topic `bicycles and health benefits`. Though Naveenchandra was inspired by the talk and decided to use a bicycle, he did not materialise his idea due to some inevitable reasons. As his house is located between Expert College and Sharada Vidyalaya, he witnesses traffic snarl. With this, he decided to purchase a cycle and enjoy multiple benefits of the humble vehicle.
“I am convinced about the benefits of using a cycle and now I can ask others to use bicycle as it prevents air pollution and also gives good health,” Naveenchandra says.
As major places including Shedigudde, Ballalbagh, Kodialbail, Dongarakeri among others comes under Kambla ward, Naveenchandra visits these wards on his bicycle. He travels around 15 km per day while paying a visit to this wards. He has purchased a bicycle paying Rs 19,800 for the same purpose. “Besides visiting my wards, it gives me a good exercise too, ” says Naveenchandra.
Traffic ACP Manjunath Shetty when contacted told Newskarnataka.com that it is the good move if a person travels on bicycle. “The burden of police on managing traffic would be reduced if people would opt for bicycles as their main means of transport”, Manjunath Shetty adds.
