A high power delegation of the Bicycle Industry led by Shri Shwait Malik Member Parliament Rajya Sabha and President BJP Punjab and Shri Ravinder Arora President BJP Ludhiana along with Shri Pankaj Munjal President AICMA and S. Gurmeet Singh Kular President FICO, met Shri Hardeep Singh Puri Union Minister of State, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India and the delegation raised two issues of PBS and safe cycling infrastructure before the Minister as:

1. Public Bike Sharing Bicycles in India:

FICO has recently taken two successful delegations to China & observed that there are numerous bicycles have been dumped on road sides, which are now being dumped to our India by companies like Orange, OFO, MoBike which are into Public Bike Sharing. FICO is not against PBS but dumping these Chinese bikes in India will result in closure of Indian Indigenous bicycle manufacturers, you are requested to allow the Made in India Bicycles for Public Bike Sharing System in India. This will also give a boost to Our PM Shri Narinder Modi’s Vision of Make in India.

2. Introduction of Cycling Tracks in India

This is in reference to our Honorable Prime Minister Narinder Modi’s Vision of ‘Why not celebrate Sunday as a Cycle Day’. Today cycle is not only a poor man’s conveyance, but also a modern day’s fitness mantra. There is a need to introduce the cycling tracks in Punjab as well as in whole India. The introduction of cycling tracks would not only make cycling safer, but also help making our environment pollution free.

After the detailed discussion, it was announced by the Minister that

1) A circular is being issued by Ministry of H&UA GOI to all Chief Secretaries of the States referring Make in India Guidelines of DIPP and specifically stating that preference to made in India PBS Bicycles should be given in PBS Systems of Smart cities and other government projects

2) It was also announced to set up a National Urban Active Travel Ways Authority of India with statutory status so as to enable the ULBs with statutory powers and adequate funds for building and maintaining walking and cycling infrastructure at pan India level.

Amongst Present were Sh. Pankaj Munjal Immediate Past President of AICMA & CMD of Hero Cycles Limited , Sh Gurmeet Singh Kular President FICO, Sh. Rajeev Jain Secretary FICO & Gen. Sec UCPMA,  Sh Rahul Kapur Atlas Cycle Limited , Sh Mandeep Pahwa & Sh GD Kapur from M/s Avon Cycles Limited, Sh Ramamoothy TI Cycles,  Dr K.B.Thakur Secretary General AICMA, Sh Inderjeet Singh Navyug President UCPMA, Sh Avtar Singh Bhogal of M S Bhogal & Sons, Sh Udham jit singh of S J Cycles  & Rajinder singh of Harbhajan Singh & Brothers  & Sh U.K Narang off G-13 Bicycle Forum