NCELL UNDP

UNDP and Ncell partner for Cycling Promotion under Sustainable Development in Nepal

4 June 2021, Kathmandu

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Ncell Axiata Limited entered into a partnership to promote sustainable development solutions, including through promotion of cycling for healthy lives and cities in Nepal. UNDP Resident Representative Ayshanie Medagangoda Labe and Ncell CEO Andy Chong signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) virtually to this effect on June 4. 

The cycle campaign, dubbed ‘Greenway’, was originally launched in January 2021 with the objective of promoting sustainable urban transportation and environment-friendly lifestyle choices for urban dwellers. The aim is to demonstrate how cycling is an alternative mode of transport that is clean, healthy, and affordable for commuters in cities.

Under this MoU signed on the eve of the World Environment Day 2021, UNDP and Ncell, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), will collaborate to further expand the coverage of the cycle campaign to other aspiring cities outside the Kathmandu Valley. The campaign will make use of existing technology to track, map, credit and reward cycling for healthy cities.

People will be motivated to use bicycles or switch to cycling through a game that incentivises cyclists with rewards, and also favours clean businesses that sponsor and take part in the game. The campaign advocates for increased investment on cycle-friendly, safe infrastructure and aims to introduce incentives to motivate people to switch to or continue commuting on bicycles for multiple reasons, including, economic, health, environmental as well as COVID related safety reasons. 

“Through this MoU, UNDP and Ncell set our shoulders to the wheels and set them in motion. Simply put, to keep fit, to save lives and protect the planet,” said UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal Ayshanie Medagangoda Labe. “UNDP believes in the effectiveness of public private partnerships to achieve urban sustainability outcomes, and to alleviate issues such as air pollution, traffic congestion, and road safety that impact the quality of life of millions of city dwellers in Nepal.”

“Ncell is pleased to join hands with the United Nations for this green cause to promote cycling as a sustainable means of urban travel, practical for short- and medium commuting. Given the numerous benefits of cycling, we are hopeful this campaign has the potential to transform the way we travel in cities. This is aligned with Ncell’s commitment towards sustainable society as well as our parent company Axiata’s journey to becoming a net-zero carbon company,” said Ncell CEO Andy Chong.

The MoU signed between UNDP and Ncell expresses commitment to explore and undertake joint initiatives for the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nepal.

The Government of Nepal’s National Plan for Electric Mobility (NPEM) envisions improving air quality, among several other means, through 50% cut in the use of fossil fuels in the transport sector by 2050 and to decrease the rate of air pollution through proper monitoring of sources of pollutants across waste, old and unmaintained vehicles and industries. Promoting cycling in cities, is expected to be one of the immediate and low-cost sustainable ways of reaching that target. 

“It’s a win-win game accessible for everybody. Anyone with or without a smartphone can participate and enjoy the perks, while also keeping up the wellbeing of themselves and their cities,” said Cycle City Network Nepal (CCNN) President Sailendra Dongol. “After countless trials and tests, we have finally managed to launch a fully functioning cycle game app, Greenway. I call on everyone to join and take benefit from the campaign.”

दिगो विकासका लागि नेपालमा यूएनडीपी र एनसेलको साझेदारी

नेपालमा दिगो विकास तथा स्वस्थ जीवन र स्वच्छ शहरका लागि साइकल यात्रा अभियानको प्रवद्र्धन गर्न संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघ विकास कार्यक्रम (यूएनडीपी) र एनसेल आजियाटा लिमिटेडले साझेदारी गरेका छन् । यसका लागि यूएनडीपीकी आवासीय प्रतिनिधि ऐशानी मेडागाङ्गोडा लाबे र एनसेलका प्रमुख कार्यकाकारी अधिकृत एन्डी चोङ्ले जेठ २१ गते समझदारी पत्रमा (भर्चुअल रूपमा) हस्ताक्षर गरेका छन् ।

साइकल अभियानलाई ‘ग्रिनवे’ अर्थात् ‘हरितमार्ग’ एपको माध्यमलगायतबाट प्रवद्र्धन गरिनेछ । शहरी बासिन्दाका लागि दिगो शहरी यातायात र वातावरण–मैत्री जीवनपद्धतिको छनोट प्रवद्र्धन गर्ने उद्देश्यले यो अभियानको शुभारम्भ गत पुस २०७७ बाटै भएको थियो । शहरबासीका लागि स्वच्छ, स्वस्थ र सुपथ रहेको साइकल यात्रा कसरी वैकल्पिक माध्यम हुन सक्छ भन्ने कुराको पुष्टि गर्नु अभियानको ध्येय हो ।

‘विश्व वातावरण दिवस २०२१’को पूर्वसन्ध्यामा हस्ताक्षरित यस समझदारी पत्रअन्तर्गत यूएनडीपी र एनसेलले आफ्नो व्यावसायिक—सामाजिक जिम्मेवारी (सीएसआर)को हिस्साका रूपमा काठमाडौं उपत्यकाबाहिरका अन्य इच्छुक शहरहरूमा समेत साइकल अभियान विस्तार गर्न सहकार्य गर्नेछन् । अभियानले स्वस्थ शहरका लागि साइकल यात्राको नियमन, नक्सांकन, विश्वास तथा प्रोत्साहनका लागि विद्यमान प्रविधि प्रयोग गर्नेछ ।

मानिसहरूलाई प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक खेलमार्फत बढीभन्दा बढी साइकल प्रयोग गर्न उत्साहित गरिनेछ, जसले साइकलयात्रीलाई पुरस्कारसँगै प्रोत्साहित गर्ने र खेलमा सहभागी हुने तथा प्रायोजन गर्ने जस्ता वातावरणमैत्री व्यवसायलाई समेत पक्षपोषण गर्दछ । यस अभियानले साइकलमैत्री, सुरक्षित पूर्वाधारको बढ्दो लगानीका लागि वकालत गर्दछ । यससँगै आर्थिक, स्वास्थ्यलगायत वातावरणीय तथा कोभिड–सम्बद्ध सुरक्षाका लागि समेत मानिसहरूलाई साइकल जीवनशैली सुरु गर्न वा निरन्तर गर्न उत्प्रेरित गर्दछ ।

“यस समझदारी पत्रमार्फत, यूएनडीपी र एनसेलले काँधमा काँधदेखि पाउमा पाउ मिलाउँदै एउटै चालमा लय मिलाउनेछन् । सरल भाषामा भन्नुपर्दा, जीवनलाई स्वच्छ (फिट) र सुरक्षित राख्न तथा पृथ्वीलाई संरक्षण गर्न टेवा दिइनेछ,” यूएनडीपीकी आवासीय प्रतिनिधि ऐसानी मेडागांगोडा लेबले भन्नुभयो, “यूएनडीपी शहरी दिगो प्रतिफल हासिल गर्न र वायु प्रदूषण, सवारी चाप तथा सडक सुरक्षा एवं लाखौं शहरी बासिन्दाको गुणस्तरीय जीवनमा प्रत्यक्ष प्रभाव पार्ने सवालमा सार्वजनिक—निजी साझेदारीको प्रभावकारितामा विश्वास गर्दछ ।”

एनसेलका प्रमुख कार्यकाकारी अधिकृत एन्डी चोङ्ले यो अभियान दिगो समाजप्रतिको प्रतिबद्धता र मातृ कम्पनी आजियाटाको ‘नेट–जिरो कार्बन’ लक्ष्यसँग जोडिएको बताउनुभयो । “साइकल यात्रालाई शहरी आउजाउ, व्यावहारिक रूपमा छोटो–तथा मध्यम दूरीको यातायातको दिगो साधनका रूपमा प्रवद्र्धन गर्न र हरित उद्देश्य प्राप्तिका लागि संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघसँग हातेमालो गर्न पाएकोमा एनसेल आभारी छ,” उहाँले भन्नुभयो, “साइकल यात्राका अनेकन् फाइदासँगै हामी यो विश्वास गर्दछौं कि शहरमा यात्रा गर्ने हाम्रो शैलीमा परिवर्तनको सम्भावना छ ।”

यूएनडीपी र एनसेलबीच हस्ताक्षर भएको समझदारी पत्रले नेपालमा दिगो विकास लक्ष्यको प्रगतिका लागि संयुक्त रूपमा पहलकदमी लिन र अन्वेषण गर्न प्रतिबद्धता व्यक्त गर्दछ ।

नेपाल सरकारको ‘विद्युतीय आवागमनका लागि राष्ट्रिय योजना (एनपीईएम)’ले सन् २०५० सम्ममा अन्य विविध उपायसँगै यातायात क्षेत्रमा धाउजन्य इन्धन प्रयोग ५०५ ले घटाई वायु प्रदूषणमा सुधार ल्याउने लक्ष्य राखेको छ । त्यससँगै पुराना र मर्मत नगरिएका सवारीसाधन, उद्योगको फोहरबाट हुने प्रदूषण दर घटाउने लक्ष्य पनि एनपीईएमको छ । शहरमा साइकल यात्रा अभियानले यो लक्ष्यमा योगदान गर्ने अपेक्षा गरिएको छ ।

“यो सबैका लागि पहुँचयोग्य र सबैलाई फाइदा पु¥याउने एउटा खेल हो । कुनै पनि व्यक्तिले स्मार्टफोनबिनै वा यसको साथमा यसमा सहभागी हुन र सुविधा भोग गर्न पाउँछन्, जसले गर्दा उनीहरू आफैंको र शहरको समेत भलो हुन्छ,” साइकल सिटी नेटवर्क नेपाल (सीसीएनएन)का अध्यक्ष शैलेन्द्र डंगोलले भन्नुभयो, “असंख्य अभ्यास र परीक्षणपछि अन्ततः हामीले साइकल गेम एप, ग्रिनवे सुरु गर्न सकेका छौं । म यो अभियानमा भाग लिन र यसबाट लाभ लिन सबैमा आह्वान गर्दछु ।”

Strategic Planning Workshop

Cycle City Network Nepal  had it’s strategic meeting on 26 May 2018 at Portal Bike premises at Chobar. This meeting was facilitated by Mr Bhushan Tuladhar. The main objective of the workshop was to gather more energy with a strategy to meet the organizational goals provides a sense of direction and outlines measurable goals. The workshop was also conducted  for guiding day-to-day decisions and also for evaluating progress and changing approaches for Cycle City Network Nepal. 

Supposedly a full day event started with the tour of Portal bikes factory.

Portal Bikes Pvt ltd is a company with a mission, “TO DEVELOP THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE AND ADAPTABLE BICYCLES THAT TRANSFORM LIVES AND POWER BUSINESSES” makes world class bikes in Nepal which can carry extra load & power tools such as corn shellers. They have sold more than 70 portal bikes in Nepal since it was founded in 2014 told Caleb Spears, the founder of company.

After the tour, we did a short tea break before starting the strategic meeting in the conference hall. We proceed the meeting first by doing the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threat) analysis. All members in the meeting actively contributed on this session. And, the result were pretty good. We really had time to reflect our organization’s strength and weaknesses. It was already noon by the time we finished this discussion so it was time for a longer break, a lunch break actually.

Friendly staffs of portal bikes were kind enough to serve us the lunch. The informal discussion continued during this break too. Nivesh, Diwash were having quite a good discussion with Bhushan sir while Khasing, Dharma were busy with a DSLR camera.

After about an hour of break, we again sat for the final session. This time we divided 12 members into 4 groups and Bhushan sir assigned us four different tasks. Tenzing from portal bikes also joined us for this session. The team scattered in four different corners on the first floor of Portal premise. Sailendra’s team were the first one to finish their task but Diwash and Shail’s team were having quite a good discussion so were the last team to do their job.

After around 45 minutes, all team again gathered at conference hall and started demonstrating their presentation. All teams came out with different innovative and creative presentation. This session came out to be another fruitful so we decided to document these presentations. Well after completing this presentation it was 4pm already and also the end of our strategic meeting.

Team CCNN had a quality productive session after a very long time, we look forward formulating all the things that we managed to document to make our organization’s strategy for upcoming 2 years. 

We would like to thank Mr. Bhushan Tuladhar sir for his time and facilitating this session, he has always inspired us to do more. And also like to thank Team Portal bikes especially Caleb Spears the founder and staffs Daniel and Tenzing.

Text: Chakshu Bikram Malla

Photo credit : Khasing Chandra Rai

 

 

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