Cycles in Manipal(MIT)

This has been a great move by MIT.. Wish I was there during those days.
Please read this acrticle in "The Hindu"

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2007/10/20/stories/2007102051880200.htm
Please see this article to see the picture :)
The article is as follows

"Don’t be surprised to find students riding bicycles at the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) campus. It is a stark contrast to the scene a year ago, when the entire campus was dominated by motorcycles.

The move to introduce bicycles is an initiative by Manipal University to reduce accidents and make the campus eco-friendly. According to the Pro-Chancellor H.S. Ballal: “We also want Manipal to have an eco-friendly campus. Cycling is also a good exercise for the students.” Also it is hoped the move will improve safety in the campus and reduce accidents.

MIT has introduced the bicycles for first year students and plans to extend the facility to all students in the coming years. The upkeep of the bicycles is the responsibility of the students. All the 2,000 bicycles procured have been given a number. If the reaction of students is anything to go by, the introduction of bicycles has gone down well. Says Shorya Sharma, a first year student of Electrical Engineering: “I used to ride a bicycle at home. It saves time as we can ride it from our hostel blocks to the institute.”

The senior students are also thrilled. In fact they are borrowing cycles from the first year students and riding around the campus. Says Vidya Venkitesh, a fourth year student of civil engineering: “I borrowed the bicycle from my junior. It is fun riding it after so many years.” Kumari Gargi, a fourth year student of printing technology says: “It does not cause any pollution. It saves fuel for the country. ”

Richa Prakash, a student of fourth year instrumentation and control, goes a step ahead. She says: “The authorities of the institute should allow the students to take the cycles outside the campus. We can then go riding to End Point. It would also save on autorickshaw expenses.” The university in a further step has stopped issuing authorisation letters to students to register their motorcycles."

Wish we can do this in Bangalore too ....