COMMUTERS had an opportunity to ditch public transport in favour of pedal power in a bid to get more of the Southampton public active.

A rickshaw offered free rides to passengers arriving at Southampton Central train station to encourage more people to get on their bikes for the Southampton Cycle Challenge which begins on Monday.

It coincides with the Daily Echo’s Beat the Bulge campaign aimed at getting residents fitter after a survey revealed the city has above average obesity levels that cost the local public purse £147m a year.

The challenge is calling on people to sign up to at least a ten-minute ride on their bikes and is inviting companies to challenge their staff to take part and compete with other organisations to see who can get the most participants.

Each challenger signs up to do a cycle ride over the three-week event that will also see a host of activities and events being staged.

The campaign went to the heart of the public-transport loving commuter community yesterday in a bid to tempt them out on two wheels.

One willing volunteer was Amy Farminer who clambered on to the rickshaw provided by The Hub cycle shop in Shirley.

She was whisked off to the Carnival UK headquarters where she works. Amy, from Fareham, said: “It certainly is a different way of getting to work. I think it is a great way of publicising the cycle challenge and I might well be inspired to give it a go myself.”

Pulling the carriage was council officer Dale Bostock, flanked by colleague Rachel Woodward, Barny Phelps from The Hub and cycle challenge co-ordinator Thea Bjaaland.

Thea said: “It is all about getting the challenge out there and encouraging people to sign up. By registering, people are entered into a draw with lots of great prizes and they can log their trips, see how much CO2 they are saving and calories they are burning.”

The council is also providing a free bike clinic on June 16 outside the central library. Anyone can bring their bike along between 8am and 4pm for a free MoT health check and advice on any repairs.

• To sign up to the challenge log on to southamptoncycle|challenge.org.uk.