{
  "id": 13181213,
  "title": "Thane Bicycle Mayor Chirag Shah Felicitated By Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya After Winning International Cycling Honour",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/thane-bicycle-mayor-chirag-shah-felicitated-by-union-minister-mansukh",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T18:36:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/thane-bicycle-mayor-chirag-shah-felicitated-by-union-minister-mansukh-mandaviya-after-winning-international-cycling-honour"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai: Thane's Bicycle Mayor, Chirag Shah, was honored by Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya this week for his international award-winning efforts in promoting cycling as a sustainable and healthy mode of transportation. Shah, an active member of a 500-member cycling community, encourages Thane residents to use bicycles for short commutes and practices what he preaches by cycling to his store, located about a kilometer from his home.\n\nDuring his tenure as Bicycle Mayor, Shah has made significant strides in promoting cycling in Thane. He introduced a 900-meter cycling track around 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and has since added two more trial stretches. Despite the progress made, Shah acknowledges that the city has a long way to go before its roads become truly cycling-friendly.\n\nAs Bicycle Mayor, Shah's role involves promoting cycling not just as a hobby but also as a practical commuting option. He serves as a bridge between the cycling community and local authorities, advocating for improved cycling infrastructure. Shah believes that children are more receptive to embracing cycling and actively involves them in traffic safety education and the use of hand signals for negotiating traffic.\n\nOne of the cyclists Shah works closely with is Aniruddha Lokhande, a finance and accounting professional who commutes from his home in Kharegaon, Kalwa, to his workplace in Kolshet, covering a distance of eight to nine kilometers. Lokhande supports the idea of cycling as a commuting alternative, highlighting its potential to reduce pollution and improve health by enabling people to cover distances of 10 to 15 kilometers on their bicycles.\n\nShah's dedication to cycling advocacy has earned him international recognition. The award he received was presented by Dr. Leszek Sibilski, the founder and leader of the global campaign for World Bicycle Day. The United Nations declared June 3 as World Bicycle Day in 2018, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Sibilski's campaign. Shah, a Bicycle Mayor appointed by BYCS, an Amsterdam-based social enterprise, believes that bicycles have the potential to bring about meaningful change in urban mobility.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: Thane’s Bicycle Mayor Chirag Shah was felicitated earlier this week by Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for receiving an international award for his contribution to promoting cycling as an environmentally sustainable and healthy alternative to motorised transport. Shah received a Certificate of Excellence from Dr Leszek Sibilski, a Washington, DC-based cycling…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}