Daulat Rahman/Guwahati

Arshel Akhter was in Class VIII when his father gifted him his first bicycle. He learned to cycle without any help or support. On weekends, he cycled along with his friends in the neighbourhood.

His love for cycling continued till he graduated in 2001 and started working. As it happens with most professionals, he sold off his bicycle and bought a car.

However, soon, he felt disenchanted with both his corporate job and the car. He quit his job to become an entrepreneur and  went back to cycling.

Today, Arshel Akhter is one of the most well-known faces not only among cyclists but also the common people in Assam. He rides bicycles across the State to spread the message about the benefits of cycling for health and the environment, particularly in a fast-growing city like Guwahati.

Arshel Akhter and his bicycle

Since 2016, Arshel has been cycling to explore areas around Guwahati on weekends. He also connects with like-minded people. He joined a WhatsApp group of cyclists and met enthusiasts like him. Around mid-2017, Arshel realized that he wanted to do more with cycling.

Initially, this involved organizing weekend rides, rallies on special occasions, races, and later, campaigns, discussions, and conclaves with experts.

In 2018, Arshel came across the Bicycle Mayor program and applied for it by submitting a three-page write-up about his passion for cycling, Guwahati, and his vision for the city.

Arshel Akhter and his friends on the Guwahati roads

BYCS, a global NGO based in Amsterdam that focuses on transforming cities through cycling, conducted three online interviews and found me suitable for the role. The NGO asked him to collect seven endorsements from active local citizens. He reached out to over 40 people and secured about 20 endorsements. On April 22, 2018, on the occasion of the International Earth Day, Arshel was appointed the first Bicycle Mayor of Guwahati.

“This new appointment allowed me to engage not only with the local government and cycling communities across Assam but also to understand that most people associated cycling only with sports or recreation, not as a means of transportation. This realization led me to explore concepts related to sustainable transportation, government schemes and policies around cycling, and reasons why these had either failed or not been implemented,” Arshel told Awaz-The Voice in an exclusive interview.

Things started working well for Arshel. In 2019, along with a couple of friends, Arshel founded an organization called Pedal for a Change, focusing on all aspects of cycling and carrying out these activities.

“From 2019, I started to view cycling as a viable urban mobility option that could help address two major urban challenges—pollution and congestion. My learning progressed organically through interactions with fellow Bicycle Mayors from other cities, urban transport experts (mainly through LinkedIn), reading articles and books, and engaging with online content. By 2020, I had gained deeper insights into sustainable urban mobility, and my advocacy began expanding to include public transportation and walking, in addition to cycling,” Arshel said.

To further connect with cycling communities across the state, Arshel undertook a solo cycling trip across Assam in June–July 2023, covering about 2,000 km through 27 districts over 28 days. The trip was also to spread the message of Climate Action, Active Mobility and Road Safety.

Inspired and encouraged by interactions with volunteers (who joined us in batches from 2020 to 2021) through Pedal for a Change in Guwahati, Arshel co-founded Purvca Foundation in 2024. The foundation now works on advocacy related to Climate Action, Public Transportation, Active Mobility (walking and cycling), and Road Safety.

“We now organize cycle rides and manage rallies for various organizations, and cycle races in partnership with Spokehub Cycling, and these serve as community engagement activities. We also organize Open Streets Guwahati with the support of the ESAF Foundation. We have run campaigns like “I Am Car-Free Today” to encourage people to avoid using cars a few days each month, and “We Too” campaigns to raise awareness about the safety of cyclists and pedestrians,” Arshel said.

Arshel and his organization conducted online discussion sessions (Pedal Talks), offline dialogues (Mobility Talks), and participatory engagement sessions (Let’s Get Involved) to find collaborative solutions to urban mobility issues.

Arshel Akhter with his friends

They have also carried out surveys and studies to understand people’s perceptions of public transportation and cycling. In 2023, they launched the North East Cycling Awards to recognize individuals, institutions, and organizations for their contributions to cycling.

“We have organized cycle rallies in a few Guwahati Schools, although many students primarily participate in larger rallies conducted by other organizations. Cycle races, especially those organized in partnership with Spokehub Cycling, attract young participants aged 12 to 18,” he said.

Arshel Akhter (Left) on the Guwahati Road

Through the Purvca Foundation, Arshel plans to conduct studies to build evidence and support for sustainable urban mobility. Arshel’s team is working on a pilot project to improve neighborhood-level accessibility through walking and cycling, especially connecting localities with major public transportation nodes. Later, these pilots can be expanded to other areas of Guwahati and eventually to other cities in Assam, he said.

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“We also plan to launch a program to support livelihood cyclists—those who cycle out of economic necessity. Additionally, we are working on cycling for school children. This year, we will organize the second edition of the North East Cycling Awards for individuals who contributed to promoting cycling,” Arshel said.