MCC calls for tenders to design bicycle lanes up to 12-km with Rs. 3.20 crore

Mysore/Mysuru: After missing out on being India’s Top 11 Cycling Pioneers in the first season of ‘India Cycles4Change Challenge’, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has re-launched ‘Cycle4Change’ project and has called tenders to create dedicated cycle lanes across the city. 

In the India Cycles4Change Challenge, 107 cities across the country including Mysuru came together to test, learn and scale up different cycling-friendly initiatives, kick-starting India’s cycling revolution. But Mysuru did not figure in the top 11 cities despite being the country’s first to host and successfully implement the Public Bicycle Sharing System (PBSS). 

Only Bengaluru made it to the shortlist from Karnataka and is now eligible for a grant of Rs. 1 crore for improving its cycling infrastructure. The 11 shortlisted cities are Bengaluru, Warangal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Kohima, Nagpur, New Town Kolkata, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara.

To make amends, the MCC has relaunched ‘Cycle4Change’ under the initiative of Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India. The project in Mysuru and a few other cities like Hassan will be launched through the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) nodal agency and funds have been reserved for the same. 

Under the first phase of ‘Cycle4Change’, Mysuru and Hassan would get priority and in Mysuru a dedicated 12-km cycle track has been proposed on wide roads. A survey has already been conducted  by the City Traffic Police and the report has been submitted to the MCC. 

Based on the survey, tenders have been called. Speaking to Star of Mysore, MCC Superintending Engineer J. Mahesh said that the e-tenders have been floated to construct a cycle path that will extend up to 1.5 to 2 metres up to a distance of 12- km within the city. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 3.20 crore and the entire expenses will be borne by the Central Government.  

12-km cycle tracks

Two-way cycle tracks will come up from Ballal Circle to RTO Circle on JLB Road till Ramaswamy Circle, from MUDA Circle till the ‘Trin Trin’ cycle stand in front of Maharani’s Science College, from Hunsur Road welcome arch to the road behind the heritage DC Office, Zilla Panchayat Office, in front of the Law Courts Complex till K.G. Koppal Railway Underbridge and then towards left to reach Ballal Circle. 

Two-way tracks will also come up from Maharaja’s College Grounds to Ramaswamy Circle and from Kautilya Circle at Crawford Hall till MUDA Circle. Mahesh said that the cycle track will be exclusive for cycles and no other vehicle including other two-wheelers will be allowed to go inside that. Cyclists can travel within the path without any obstruction. 

Four years for ‘Trin Trin’

‘Trin Trin’, the Public Bicycle Sharing System, completed four years in June 2021 and has been a success story in Mysuru. There are over 450 bicycles including 30 gear bicycles at 52 docking stations across the city. It was launched on June 4, 2017 and every day over 1,500 people use the service with more than 40 percent students depending on this service. 

Even tourists are attracted to this PBS System that was established by MCC in association with DULT. City-based ‘Green Wheel Ride’ manages the system where riders can take bicycles from any docking station and park them in nearest docking station after use. 

Considering the popularity of ‘Trin Trin’, a dedicated cycle lane was set up on the Lalitha Mahal Road in front of the Administrative Training Institute (ATI). But for this track, no other dedicated cycle lane was built in Mysuru city though there was a demand. “First we will build 12-km dedicated lanes under  ‘Cycle4Change’. The lanes will be further extended to other roads in the second phase,”  Mahesh added. 

Cycling culture regains importance

Cycling culture seems to be getting revived with personal safety being the prime concern after two waves of killer COVID pandemic. Following months of lockdown, people now are rekindling their romance with bicycling to re-start their livelihood and explore outdoor life. And they are choosing bicycles as the safest mode of transport rather than the risky public transport.

Cycling perfectly adapts to physical distancing norms, cuts across age-groups and is also cost-effective. Physical fitness with continuous pedalling is like an added bonus. With the threat of a third COVID wave imminent, people are rushing to cycle shops and taking away what they find suitable.