Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Go Green Agony

I was trying to lay a brick on the wall on which WE are trying to paint “GO GREEN”. I got to office on a cycle today. Had to fight with the security to secure a parking area.

After losing the battle, with a cycle to park, I had to resort to the costly idea of parking the cycle at the “Visitor Area for Motor Cycles” for Rs.8/hr. There also I did face a bit of resistance from the parking bay security for my inability to give the license plate number.

Of course, I accept my mistake of not securing a vehicle pass for the parking. To correct my mistake, I decided to take a vehicle pass for my cycle.

Just to add on to my agony, ITPL facilities dept seems to be counting Cycles as Motor Cycles only. They failed to figure out that a Motorcycle is different from the Bicycle. To begin with, the usage of Petrol/Deisel in a Motorcycle, which I thought is the point of the “Go green Campaign”. All they do is count the wheels.
I have understood that to secure a place to park my harmless (most environment friendly mode of transportation) cycle, I will have to shell out Rs.500/- per month. This is of course to fetch my cycle some respect at the much publicized (painted with florescent green) “Go Green Zone” identified by the ITPL authorities.

I would like to thank ITPL authorities for making me realize that “Cycle is by far the most expensive mode of transportation.“

A rickshaw to office and back would have cost-ed me 60 bucks. Ride in a transport bus costs me 20 bucks, by a private (polluting) vehicle it will be 50 bucks. But to my astonishment the ride to office on my cycle cost-ed me Rs. 64/- just for the 8hr stay.

I would like to thank them again for correcting me. I mistook the entire “Go Green Campaign” as a campaign to reduce the greenhouse gases. I know now that the campaign has more to do with the “green bucks”.

Let me rather hold on to the valuable piece of paper (read Currency) than to the idea of “Going Green”.

p.s –Good luck to the authorities with the “Go green Campaign”, albeit, I will resort to a cheaper mode of transport now on