Nagpur: In a contribution to ‘India cycles for a change challenge’, the city is being made bicycle friendly by the Ministry of housing and Urban affairs under smart city mission.
The Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited have ordered to have separate bicycle lanes of approximately 17 kms inside the city.
Though there are immense modes of transportation, cycling not only contributes in maintaining good health but also helps in cutting down the pollution rate.
In an initiative for the same, the NSSCDCL and Bicycle Mayor of Nagpur and Strategic Planner to NSSCDCL for this project, Ms. Deepanti Pal conducted a ‘Handle-Bar’ survey, during which, they met various people including bicycle vendors, cyclists, and other stake holders of the city to note down their suggestions regarding the project.
“Earlier people used to go to schools, colleges, or to their workplace by their bicycles. Nowadays, due to COVID-19 it feels those days are going to be back soon. He insisted that if Nagpur has separate bicycle lanes, it would definitely encourage the citizens to use bicycles more often,” said Mr. Nikhil Sutaria, owner of ‘Nareshchandra Co,’ one of the oldest bicycle shops of the city.
Mr. Aniruddha Ratnakar Raich, owner of Ncyclopedia Bicycle store added, “If bicycle has to be made mainstream, more awareness is required. Bicycle must be seen as a mode of transport and nothing else”.
Renowned cyclist of the city, Dr. Amit Samarth said, “People do not ride bicycles due to lack of cycling lanes, no parking spaces, indiscipline of traffic and bad roads in certain parts of the city. We need more public awareness, safety on roads and parking stands for bicyclists in the city to encourage people to take up bicycling in general”.
