Watch: Guwahati cyclists come forward to help people fight COVID-19

Guwahati: We always try our best when a friend or family member is hurting but it takes much more to care for someone completely unknown. In a situation of crisis, when the whole country is struggling, a group of cyclists have come forward to deliver their bit to help people in fighting COVID-19.

With a team of volunteers spread out across Guwahati, Relief Riders are here to help the needy, aged and COVID-19 patients by delivering essential items and medicines at their doorstep free of cost. On being contacted, a volunteer buys essentials such as vegetables, fruits, ration, prescribed medicines, etc. during the non-curfew hours and delivers them to whoever is in need.

“We have seen how the pandemic has affected people. We have also seen many who are trying to help others so we decided to utilise the most effective vehicle that we have i.e. the bicycle to help people. We floated the idea in our cycling groups and a lot of people came forward,” said Arshel Akhter, Bicycle Mayor of Guwahati and a member of Relief Riders.

Also read: Pedal Power: Meet 4 Guwahati women promoting cycling

With eleven volunteers across Guwahati, the group executed their first sortie on May 17 and is getting more calls for help. The practice, however, has already been implemented in several parts of the country where riders deliver essential goods to people in need.

“It was first started by the Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru Sathya Sankaran during the 2020 lockdown. Guwahati riders caught up with the idea this year and are offer a helping hand to those in need here,” Akhter added.

Anyone in need can call on 8638379426, 7099032155 and 9405617458 to place their requests. The Relief Riders are not promising anything related to oxygen, or medication-related to COVID-19 but they do promise to deliver essentials at one’s doorstep.