Electronic City workers join mobility challenge to offset 1,900 kg of carbon emissions

The recently concluded month-long Hejje Gala active mobility challenge has revealed a strong willingness among corporate employees in Electronic City and other technology hubs across Bengaluru to adopt walking and cycling over car-dependent travel.

The city-wide initiative brought together 268 participants from 94 companies across seven corporate clusters. Over the course of the month, participants logged more than 1,700 walking and cycling activities. These efforts helped offset nearly 1,900 kg of carbon dioxide emissions and saved approximately 818 liters of fuel.

All activities were tracked through Altmo, a mobility engagement platform that records walking and cycling trips to calculate their environmental impact. According to the data, GBA East emerged as the leading zone, recording 733 activities, saving 520.59 liters of fuel, and offsetting 1,203.91 kg of carbon emissions. GBA Central followed with 162 activities, offsetting 521.02 kg of carbon emissions and saving 225.08 liters of fuel.

Sathya Sankaran, the founder of Altmo and Bicycle Mayor of Bengaluru, stated that the results challenge the long-standing assumption that technology sector employees prefer to rely exclusively on private cars for commuting.

"One of the most significant findings from Hejje Gala is that the demand for active mobility is strongest in areas where technology companies and business hubs are concentrated," Sankaran said. "We saw encouraging participation from Electronic City and other outer areas. The data clearly shows that people working in the technology sector are interested in shifting to a combination of metro connectivity, cycling and walking."

Sankaran added that the challenge should serve as a roadmap for urban planners and government agencies, urging the Greater Bengaluru Authority and other bodies to invest in active mobility infrastructure. He noted that the collected data should be used to develop targeted action plans to improve walking and cycling facilities in key employment corridors.