[sustran] Make room for cycles, urges India's govt

[Rajendra A (HindustanTimes)]

Make room for cycles, urges Centre 
  Dedicated lanes for pedestrians, pedal pushers recommended in new
 urban road projects 
  Rajendra Aklekar
Mumbai, April 12  

IN AN environment friendly move to promote non-powered modes of
 transport, the Union Ministry of
Urban Development has recommended dedicated paths for pedestrians and
 bicycles in new projects. 
A letter to the chief secretaries of all states sent by M.
 Ramachandran, secretary to the
Government of India, underlines the importance of congestion-free,
 nonpolluting transport. 

It said: "Every public transport user is a pedestrian and no public
 transport trip is complete
without a pedestrian trip. Pedestrians and cyclists use the least space
 on the road and are the
most environment friendly modes of transport. Whatever roads are being
 built, new or widened,
enough provision should be made for dedicated paths for pedestrians and
 cycle users. 

"Such provision should be made available wherever possible and if not
 then the speed of mo torised
traffic should be limited to 30 kmph." 

The letter, a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times, goes on to add
 that while preparing the
master plan, it would be desirable to incorporate a network of tracks
 for safe cycling between
homes and schools and work centres. 

"Even flyovers that are being constructed should have proper design for
 taking care of pedestrians
and cyclists," said the letter. 

A Transport ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
 they would examine where
the tracks could be incorporated in new projects. 

"Such tracks can be kept only where there is lots of space. Mumbai is
 overcrowded. We will
implement the recommendations where possible, but experience tells us
 such tracks become places
for hawkers and not many use cycles," a Mumbai Metropolitan Region
 Development Authority official
said on condition of anonymity. 

rajendra.aklekar at hindustantimes.com 

CYCLING, FAR AND NEAR 

UNITED KINGDOM 
The UK has a popular National Cycle Network. It offers over 19,200 km
 of walking and cycle routes;
75 per cent of the UK population now lives within 3.2 km of such
 routes. The network connects
towns and villages, countryside and coast throughout the United
 Kingdom. 

IN INDIA

NAVI MUMBAI
The planners of Navi Mumbai had built dedicated tracks for bicyclists,
 but as time passed hawkers
took them over. 

PUNE 
The Global Environment Facility of the United Nations this week
 approved a proposal to develop
89.6 km of bicycle tracks on roads connecting the Pune Municipal
 Corporation's Bus Rapid Transit
System. The Global Environment Facility is an independent financial
 organisation that provides
grants to developing countries for projects that benefit the global
 environment.

AHMEDABAD The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation plans exclusive bicycle
 tracks on the Bus Rapid
Transit System route to be functional by 2009. The cycle tracks will be
 along the footpath and
have a width of 2 to 2.5 metres on the Bus Rapid Transit System routes.
 The tracks will come up on
both the first and second phase routes, wherever road dimensions
 permit.


---
Rajendra Aklekar
Principal Correspondent, Transport
Hindustan Times, Mumbai
HT Media Limited
--
140-4752, Nehru Nagar
Mumbai, 400024

Mobile: +91 9892 190 761
Office: 66539200
Fax: 66539250/60
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