Vehicle ban in Lalbagh: Only use of bicycles is allowed

Bengaluru: A new rule has been made by the government that no one can use a car or two-wheeler inside the Lalbagh botanical garden. Everyone can now use a bicycle inside the park to commute including minister and officials. The rule does not imply just to the public vehicles, it includes government vehicles, even the Minister of Horticulture and the Principal Secretary of the Government are not allowed to enter the park. No one in the department, be it senior or junior female staff, male staff, IAS, KAS officers, can use the vehicle.

Various departments including the Directorate of the Horticulture Department are functioning in Lalbagh. Although the Director's office is close to the main entrance of Lalbagh, the Deputy Director's office, News Hall, Drip Irrigation Office, Glass House, etc., are spread across the park area, with a distance of at least half a km to one km from one section to another.

So people who used to drive in cars for meetings, signing files and other activities now have to walk. Otherwise one has to ride a bicycle. Such a new rule has been implemented in Lalbagh.

This rule was implemented even before Covid with the objective of controlling air pollution inside Lalbagh Park. In the beginning, everyone was walking. But for some it was difficult to walk due to time constraint and other reasons. Realizing this, the Horticulture Department introduced bicycles. Now these cycles are the most demanded and favorite mode of transport of officers.

There are more than 15 divisions of the horticulture department in Lalbagh. One cycle is parked in front of each section. Bicycles have also been distributed to some gardeners. So there are currently 30 bicycles in the park. Four of these bicycles are reserved for women. Deputy Director G Kusuma and other women staff travel from their office to the director's office and other blocks on bicycles. A few battery operated bicycles are also available at Lalbagh for staff who cannot ride a bicycle.

Horticulture department officials coming in vehicles from different parts of the city park their vehicles at the parking area near Double Road, Lalbagh. Later, if there is a bicycle there, they will come inside. Otherwise they come on foot. Rajendra Kumar Kataria, the principal secretary of the government, also treads on a bicycle when he comes to Lalbagh. Otherwise, the horticulture department staff says that they will come by walking.

In order to control the air pollution in the park and not to disturb the public coming to the park by vehicles, almost all the officials use bicycles. Deputy Director of State Horticulture Department, G Kusuma said that there will be bicycles in every section.