Written by Bhavya Bhardwaj
Greetings for World Bicycle Day! The modern world has been a witness to millions of human inventions that have made life convenient and easier. To save time from walking, humans have by now made several innovations that have made traveling from one place to another super quick yet the invention of the bicycle still stands as the most ‘novel’ model of transportation invented.
The invention of Bicycle has an interesting history. It was invented in the year 1817 by a German person named Karl von Drais. A volcanic eruption and the consequential death of horses in the nearby European vicinity left the people with no means of transportation. This is the reason why Von Drais decided to create a vehicle that would be ‘faster than walking.’
To celebrate this novel invention, the United Nations General Assembly declared 3rd June to be celebrated as ‘World Bicycle Day’. This UN resolution gained the support of 56 other countries and the resolution recognized the ‘uniqueness, versatility and longevity’ of the invention and the fact that it is a simple, affordable, reliable and environmentally sustainable mode of transport. It also underlined the significance of bicycles as a symbol of human progress and ‘culture of peace’ and ‘social inclusion’. To acknowledge this fact, the PM of India also greeted the masses on this occasion with a picture of Mahatma Gandhi, exhorting them to integrate this invention into their lives for a healthier lifestyle. Gandhi was a staunch supporter of using Bicycles and it might interest you to know that recently his ‘original’ Bicycle was restored by Riyaz Tayyibji at the Sabarmati Ashram.
Over time, Bicycles became associated with a common citizen however in the present times, due to its sustainable nature it is finding its way back into being the ‘preferred mode of transport choice’ for a lot of elites. Many world leaders especially from Europe like the PM of Netherlands, Britain, and the President of France have been spotted with their two-wheels to highlight the importance of using bicycles for a sustainable future.
This World Bicycle Day, the city-residents all over the world should definitely rediscover the joy and freedom that these two-wheels stand for.
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