Meet Mangesh, The Man Who Said "Enough" To Rising Fuel Costs

After years of spending ₹5,000+ on fuel each month to commute to work, Pune-based Mangesh Patil from Mahindra & Mahindra had had enough.

Apart from the added pressure on his wallet, working in the maintenance industry took a toll on his feet over the years. Mangesh felt tired when he went home and yearned to spend the best years of his life in a better way. 

One day, something switched. 

With his daily office commute mounting up to 25 kms, walking wasn’t an option. Cycling is challenging when your ride takes you uphill. Soon, he stumbled upon electric cycles and the pieces of the puzzle started to fit in. 

Today, it’s been more than 14 months since he’s set foot on two pedals. He cycles to work every day, from Dehu-Alandi Road to Chakan, covering more than 12 kms each side on his e-cycle. 

When asked if he gets tired, he says, “Of course I did for the first 2-3 days. Then you get the hang of it, you understand when to pedal and when to accelerate. I saw the impact it had long-term, my average electricty bill used to be ₹600, today it’s ₹640. I’m saving so much money. ”

Not only is his wallet heavier now, but his health improved. The stress on his feet has started to fade, giving him more quality time to spend with his family over the weekends.

An avid cyclist and Samaritan, he urges the government to improve infrastructure to encourage more people to join him. A popular legend among his colleagues and a constant recipient of admiring looks at traffic signals, he believes this is the simplest solution to many problems we face today – whether it’s money, time, health or the environment.

That’s Mangesh Patil for you, a happy father, husband, and rider. 

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