Thank DULT, Bengaluru to turn cycle-friendly soon

Bengaluru: The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has identified 130 km stretch of roads to create cycle tracks in the Central Business District areas, of which cycle 80 km stretch requires cycle tracks. 

The work will commence in a phased manner after the BBMP and traffic police department give the green signal. The BBMP will discuss the Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) in the council meeting which will be held in a few days. 

Darpan Jain, commissioner of DULT, told Deccan Chronicle that the cycle tracks and also the streets which require cycle tracks have been identified. "The information about the cycle track and public bicycle system (PBS) has been shared with both the BBMP and traffic police department. They will have to make an observation and provide inputs and also give us a go-ahead," said Mr Jain.

He said that once the approval is given, the work will commence in a phase manner. 

Another DULT official said, "The work will commence in cluster 1 which comprises Central Business District (CBD) areas like M.G. Road, Vidhana Soudha, Brigade Road, Indiranagar and surroundings. We are waiting for the approval and once we get it, we will begin the work."  

Subhash Rao, a cycle enthusiast, who usually cycles to his office on Langford Road from his residence in Ashok Nagar, said, "People like us who use cycles to commute to office are waiting for the PBS to be introduced along with cycle tracks. I have heard several people talking about using cycles for daily work, but they are worried about their safety and traffic. If the government implements the system soon, we are sure that a number of people will use cycles. But we still don't understand why there is such a delay." 

Mr Rao said that the government should encourage people to use cycles as it will reduce traffic congestion and also air pollution to an extent.