Mysore emerging as a city of cycles

After some decades, Mysore is emerging as a city of cycles - firstly as a move to check environmental pollution and secondly to curb increasing vehicular flow and fuel consumption.

The move by the district authorities of introducing ‘cycle day on Mondays’ is gradually catching up with other governmental agencies asking its employees to pedal all the way from their homes to offices and back.

Now, the authorities have planned to create ‘cycle stands’ at important centres where cyclists can pick up a bicycle on hire and leave them at the cycle stand close to their destination.

The authorities have identified 24 centres where bicycles will be parked in the city. At each cycle stand, a dozen bicycles will be made available to the public. Says Transport Directorate Special Officer Shailendra Singh, places identified for cycle stands include railway station, bus stand, Mysore Palace and Ganapathi Sachchidananda Ashram.

 

Other ways to popularise public cycle scheme were discussed at a meeting held at the deputy commissioner’s office and a decision to create cycle stands was taken to encourage public to opt for cycling, instead of using motor vehicles. It was decided to set up cycle stands at important centres where public can hire a cycle and leave at the stand near their destination.

“This will avoid public buying a cycle for their use and its maintenance. This is a pro-cycle friendly approach too,” Singh said.

Use of cycles would catch up further if educational institutions and university campuses provide similar facility, he added.

Deputy Commissioner P S Vastrad said this was a very good move and would be an additional attraction in the fast growing tourist destination city of Mysore. Besides, visitors, local people can also increasingly use bicycles.

To popularise use of bicycles among office-goers, a cycle rally was conducted last month with top officials pedaling from their homes to offices, led by the deputy commissioner and top police officers headed by Police Commissioner K L Sudheer.

Happy over the response to the initiative, the deputy commissioner had suggested all officers to bicycle to their offices from their homes on every Monday of the week. He had also suggested the police to ensure cyclists’ safety and office-heads to provide cycle stands at their offices.

Responding to his direction, offices including the Mysore City Corporation and the Mysore Urban Development Authority have asked their staff to ride on bicycles on Mondays to their offices and back home. The Police have begun marking ‘cycle tracks’ on around 25 kms to ensure cyclists’ safe riding on major roads in the city.

Before motor vehicles became popular mode of private transport, most of the people owned bicycles in the city. Besides cycle stands at all offices, cycle shops, set up private shop keepers, provided facilities like repairs and maintenance. The then Municipality was collecting licence of fee of Rs 2 a cycle, which all disappeared with more vehicles beginning to appear on the roads.