Karnataka government to promote alternative sustainable transport

BENGALURU: The state government has taken the decision of building 1,000 bicycle parking hubs within the city of Bengaluru, to promote cycling as an alternative for sustainable transport.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was asked to accommodate more cycle-parking slots in the city, at the first general council meeting of the Karnataka non-motorised transport agency which was held last month under the chairmanship of the urban development department's additional chief secretary Mahendra Jain.

The department of urban land transport has said the parking hubs will be coming up at the Outer Ring Road, Jayanagar and Malleshwaram. The council had also decided to expand the public bicycle sharing system and for the construction of parking hubs, phase-wide tenders are being directed.

The decision of providing space for parking e-vehicles, along with bicycles in the parking hubs, has also been considered by the council. The directorate of urban land transport (DULT) special officer had stated that two vendors have already submitted a proposal to utilise the bicycle-parking hubs for e-vehicles.

Jain had proposed that a required percentage of space in the cycle-parking hubs shall be used for e-vehicles. However, parking of bicycles should be prioritised.

The space meant to be allotted for e-vehicles in the parking hubs or providing of the separate parking slots for e-vehicles are to be analysed in detail and submitted before the council for a suitable decision.

S Somashekhar, the road infrastructure wing chief engineer of BBMP had said that, tenders have been floated for the construction of 271 bicycle-parking hubs and the bidders had quoted Rs 8.4 crore for the project. The council by being subjective to certain conditions had accorded the approval for the tender.