By M.B. Pavan Murthy
Mysore/Mysuru: After announcing grand plans to establish dedicated bicycle lanes for Mysuru and after dropping the plans many times for reasons best known to the officers and elected representatives, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has relaunched the project and this time it has come up with the concrete plan of laying dedicated synthetic cycle track.
The 8.5-km synthetic cycle track will be laid at various places across the city and will be aimed at encouraging the use of cycles for which Mysuru is already known for. The concept of Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) began in 2017 in the month of June. Accordingly, the system completed five years on June 5, 2022.
In Mysuru, the PBS system is called ‘Trin Trin,’ and the dedicated cycle stands at various docking stations in the city, hundreds of yellow-coloured cycles changed the face of commuting from one point to another within the city limits. The system was established by MCC in association with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT). City-based ‘Green Wheel Ride’ got the tender of managing the PBS system.
16,918 members
At present, there are 53 docking stations in Mysuru and there are 450 cycles including 30 geared ones available for the public. Cycles are borrowed from the docking stations more than 1,000 times each day. Riders can take bicycles from any docking station and park the bicycle in any nearest docking station.
“Till June 12, 2022, we have a membership of 16,918 and we have plans to increase the docking stations to 100,” Green Wheel Ride Manager Asha Kerakatti told Star of Mysore.
Tenders finalised; work order issued
Confirming about the new dedicated 8.5-km synthetic cycle track that will be laid in city, MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy recently said that tenders for the project have been finalised and work order too has been issued. Works will begin soon after the Model Code of Conduct for the Biennial Legislative Council Polls from South Graduates Constituency ends, he added.
“As per the project specifications, synthetic material will be used to lay the cycle track and 8.5-km track will be laid in the first phase. Two cycles can travel by the sides of the road in two directions. The track will be open for all cyclists and will not be exclusive for Trin Trin,” he said.
The project of dedicated cycle lanes was mooted in 2012 where it was decided that three to five feet of roads would be dedicated exclusively for cyclists and the lane would be painted yellow. At present, there is a dedicated bicycle lane on Narasimharaja Boulevard near Administrative Training Institute on the road leading to Chamundi Hill that is used by cyclists. The lane is also used by horse trainers to walk their animals.
Indoor cycle track
According to N. Lokesh, Secretary of Mysuru District Amateur Cycling Association, not only dedicated cycle lanes but also there is an urgent need for indoor cycle track and cycle park for Mysuru. “Of late, there is a renewed enthusiasm for cycling and many are taking it up for exercising, cycling for passion and sports cyclists. An indoor cycling track will be a great boon to them,” he opined.
The MCC and MUDA can make it a policy to develop dedicated cycle lanes whenever a new area or a layout is approved and designed. This will provide a much needed boost to cycling, Lokesh added.
Mysoreans are gripped by car culture. They think , it is below their prestige to ride a bicycle. add to this eggs breakfast!
They would rather pay thousands of Rupees to belong to a gym, and pound treadmills , and get rushed in to private hospitals in Mysore for cardiac treatment than to wal or cycle, which are gentler and very effective exercises. Mysoreans , hence were in better health 50 years ago, when they did just that.