This story is from June 24, 2018

Naya Raipur gets a cycle track

Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) has introduced a public cycle sharing system last week, a similar model that Pune and Bhopal have in place.
Naya Raipur gets a cycle track
Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) has introduced a public cycle sharing system last week, a similar model that Pune and Bhopal have in place. The project which was launched under the smart city initiative last year has started functioning in parts of Naya Raipur where residents and commuters have started using the service. According to RMC figures, on an average, around 300 new vehicles are registered in the city on a daily basis.
Multiply that by 365 days and the number of vehicles on the roads is enormous. Municipal commissioner Rajat Bansal says, “With thousands of vehicles plying on the road, traffic congestion and increase in pollution levels is but obvious. On the other hand, bicycle reduces the problems of air and noise pollution along with traffic congestion and accidents. Keeping these important factors in mind, we have launched the cycle sharing system in Raipur and the response has been good so far.”
The smart city corporation is comparing the system on par with bike-friendly cities in Europe like Amsterdam and Copenhagen and it is also seen as a deterrent to traffic snarls in the city. As many as 300 cycles have been deployed at five of these stations in Naya Raipur to make commuting easier.
A resident of Naya Raipur, Sandesh Yadav who works at a bank says, “Five years ago, one could commute with ease in the city. However, with the expansion of Raipur, the city has become choked with streets getting congested and traffic jams. This is the right time to have a fully-functioning cycle track in the city with a public cycle sharing system in place to avoid traffic woes. Though I have a vehicle, I am using cycle to commute, which is health and nature-friendly.”
The public cycle sharing system is not just easy to use; it comes handy for students to commute to their colleges. Aakriti Devgan, a student of Hidayatullah National Law University says, “Our classes have begun a week ago and for students coming from the old city and using the cycle system makes absolute sense. Many students, including me, take buses which drop us at the Naya Raipur intersection bus stop from where we take the cycle to commute to our university. It is a 4km ride and pocket-friendly for us; it is also a good way to exercise in the morning too.”
For another student of a nearby institute — Krishna Engineering College, cycle sharing system is letting him save pocket money. Ashish Chandrani says, “I used to spend about `100 each day commuting from old to new Raipur. Thanks to the cycle sharing system, I only have to shell out `1 an hour which is the time it takes me to reach college too.”
While the use of public cycle sharing system comes with many pros, there are some glitches in the system too. Speaking from a personal experience, engineering student Ravi Prathani says, “Since the system is new, there’s a lot of interest among the commuters to ride these cycles. The RMC must deploy more cycles across the stations.” Disha Khetan, a student of Madhav Institute highlights connectivity issues through phone. “Due to phone connectivity issues with e-wallet, sometimes it is difficult to access the cycles and we have to use public transport instead. So I’m not 100 per cent sure to rely on commuting by cycle every day.”

“Through this pilot project, we wish to provide people with a taste of an ‘easy-to-use’ bicycle-sharing experience and educate them with various benefits associated with cycling. The model which was mooted under the smart development project will soon be replicated across the city to promote a green mode of transportation”
—Mayor of Raipur, Pramod Dubey
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA