Cycle rally to promote adventure tourism, polution awareness in Darjeeling

A bicycle rally that aims to minimize pollution and promote cycling as adventure tourism in the Hills will be organised in Darjeeling on 1 January, 2016 by a group of local adventure tour operators.

The event will be supported by the Darjeeling district administration and the Darjeeling Police. “The main objective behind conducting the rally is to promote awareness about the rising pollution in the Hills due to the usage of large number of vehicles. With the help of the bicycle rally, we want to emphasize on the need of using less vehicles and the benefits of cycling. The rally also aims at promoting cycling for adventure tourism in the Darjeeling hills,” said Sangay Sherpa, a member of the group of adventure tour operators who will be organising the cycling event. “We have chosen to conduct the cycling event on the first day of 2016, so that our message of reducing pollution by decreasing the use of vehicles reaches the masses,” Sherpa added.

The rally, which will cover a distance of 60 km, will be flagged off at Chowrastha in Darjeeling at 10 am and end in Mirik. “Already 60 cyclists have registered for the event. It’s a free ride and anyone can participate in it. Many participants are from Sikkim,”  Sherpa said. According to another adventure tour operator, Urgen Sherpa, mountain biking has been in great demand since the last two years. Every month approximately 80 cycles are hired by locals and tourists alike.(sns)