MMRDA move to set up dedicated bicycle stands will encourage people to cycle around the business district, using the two-year-old tracks.
The forgotten bicycle track at the business district of Bandra Kurla Complex might now be of some use to citizens as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has planned to source out bicycles in the coming months, which people can use without having to pay.
For two-and-a-half years now, the bicycle track in the business district has been lying in a state of neglect and MMRDA has receiving criticism for poor planning and spending funds in haste. Around Rs6.5 crore was spent on constructing the 13-km-long track which was commissioned back in February 2011.
“The plan is to set up dedicated bicycle stands from where people can take bicycles and use them to go around the business district. We are in continuous dialogue with the bidders or interested agencies and have informed them that bicycles should be provided to public without taking any hiring charges,” said a development authority official.
In the first year, the agency will provide 50 bicycles, followed by 50 each in the subsequent two years, and 75 in the fourth and fifth year. This means in all, 300 bicycles will be available to roam around the business district. Nine bicycle
stands will come up at E, G and G north blocks by the end of this year.
Apart from bicycles, street furnitures will also come up in lieu of advertisement rights. This includes benches, litter bins, information and direction boards, multipurpose booths, flag poles, kiosks, bollards, bus shelters, tree guards and public conveniences.
Till now, six advertising firms have shown interest in the project to get commercial rights for the next 20 years.
Walkability Asia 
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