The Relief Riders caught the attention of the World Bicycle Day founder (Professor Leszek Sibilski) and were nominated for the 2022 Noble Peace Prize. Felix John, a member of the Relief Riders in Chennai, took up the role and responsibility of the Chennai Cycle Mayor in 2019, though he did not know where and how to start. “The ‘mayor’ is just a name, a title given by BYCS. Their main objective is 50 by 30 meaning 50% of city trips by cycle by 2030.” The mayors are a catalyst for the neighbourhood or city they have been chosen for and have various responsibilities like encouraging the adoption of cycles for commute, working on infrastructure and policies by collaborating with city stakeholders, IAS officers, Smart City officials and the Corporation, and cater to local needs.

A day in the life of a Relief Rider starts early morning, and works between 6 am and 10 pm. Depending on the emergency, they might work earlier or later. People contact them for medicines, groceries and essential goods, and volunteers take up requests as per their availability. “The group is still alive and active but is not operating in the field at present. It is only for emergencies, completely voluntary and runs as a non-profit, with some people coming forward and donating to Relief Riders,” says Felix.

On the note of progress in cycle adoption across the city, Felix mentions that there’s been incremental progress and citizen participation has gone up during 2020 and 2021. “There’s a big community of cyclists in Chennai that has grown post lockdown. But, there has to be more involvement in city projects and meetings, as citizen participation is necessary but unpredictable.” He says that the community has to come forward for cycle adoption; this is important as that will help in holding the stakeholders accountable.

Felix signs off with an important message. “Using cycles doesn’t mean abandoning motor vehicles and cycling for 10-20 kms. Start using cycles for walkable distances. Reduce dependency on motor vehicles for short distances.”