As part of the Bicycle Partnership Program funded by I-CE, Parisar carried out a project to spread awareness of bicycling as a mode of urban transport, emphasizing mainly the role of cycling in making a people friendly city, and forwarding the idea of sustainable urban transport as a whole.
The project consisted on awareness campaigns touching various groups of the city, like school children, college students and motorists. For each of these groups a customized 'kit' was prepared revolving around the basic components of a film [Cycling Friendly Cities], a presentation and design material like posters and give aways. Details can be found in the report.
Apart from these awareness campaigns, other events like the Car Free Day was celebrated on 22nd September 2008, by Parisar, by organising a Cycle Rally in the city. Additional studies about cycling in the city, namely, 'Women Bicyclists of Pune' and 'Know Your Cyclist' were also published in collaboration with the University of Pune, for highlighting the unique problems and advantages of cycling in the city and most importantly, suggesting betterment options.
The project was by and large successful in creating awareness, through its unique methods and due to the thought which was put in creating material which could generate interest and curiousity among people on a faded issue for most of the citizens.
We have been consistently working towards making the presence of the cyclists in the city felt and appreciated. It definitely is not an easy or prompt process, but we seem to be getting closer with each project. The project was completed in June 2010. You can find the complete report of the project here, and the details of the kit material here.