Pushed to pedal? Post fuel price hike,a spurt in cycle sales

At the Cycle World branches in Wanowrie,Market Yard and in the city,there has been a 7-10 per cent rise in sales post the petrol hike. Naitik Bora,owner of Cycle World,said,“The high-end cycles are selling faster now. They come with gears and are light weight. The increase in sales is also due to the Go Green concept at IT companies. Many IT employees now prefer going to work on bicycles.” Bicycles in the range of Rs 5,000-Rs 25,000 are in the fast selling bracket currently.

The Life Cycle Mall at Tilak Road has registered an increase in sales and enquiries about cycles,said owner of the mall Ulhas Joshi. “Immediately after the hike,we had youngsters as well as professionals inquiring about the ideal bicycles for a distance of 5-7 km,” he said. Joshi added the perfect cycles for this distance range from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000. “It’s a one-time buy. It is at half the price of a two-wheeler and has zero running cost. Also,a bicycle is like a gym on wheels,” he said. The mall’s sells 175 – 200 cycles on an average in a month. “This month,our sales have touched 250,” Joshi said.

BCom student Preeti D’Souza,who works with an HR consultancy firm,bought a cycle for Rs 20,000 within a week of the fuel hike. D’Souza said,“I stay in Mundhwa and my office is in the beginning of the North Main Road,Koregaon Park. Cycling to work everyday helps me manage my monthly expenditure.”

Joshi,who is also a member of the Non-Motorised Transport Cell within the PMC,added,“Now with more and more people opting for cycles,be it for health reasons or financial ones,some serious attention needs to be paid to the city’s cycle tracks. If they are rebuilt properly,then cycling will be further encouraged.”