BMC transforms road into cycle track in Borivali

Civic officials said that people, who were not local residents, would regularly park their vehicles in this road and keep them in the same place for weeks

Mumbai A major road in the Borivali area of western suburbs, that once used to be a hub of illegal encroachments and unauthorised car-parking, has been transformed into a swanky bicycle track by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

There were several abandoned vehicles in the road that were removed by the BMC before creating this track (HT File)

The 18.3-metre PP Wamanroad Pai Marg is one of the primary roads in the suburban belt that is used by daily commuters. However, civic officials said that a significant portion of this road was used as an unauthorised parking space by vehicle owners as hundreds of cars, motorcycles and auto rickshaws used to be parked in this road throughout the day. The road also had footpaths on both the sides, but pedestrian walkability was severely affected as the footpath is filled with encroachers.

Civic officials said that people, who were not local residents, would regularly park their vehicles in this road and keep them in the same place for weeks. There were several abandoned vehicles in the road that were removed by the BMC before creating this track.

“The idea was to bring a permanent solution to this problem. The road passes through a residential area and we have received complaints of encroachments and illegal activities taking place behind the parked vehicles at night. Which is why we decided to transform the space entirely,” said Vaqar Javeed, assistant municipal commissioner and incharge of R/Central ward office, that implemented this project.

“Earlier, we had launched a beautification plan in our entire ward. Then, we installed murals in all the open spaces. Similarly, a mural was painted on the wall adjoining this road and the murals were defaced by the encroachers the very next day. Which is why we had planned to set up this track as a long-term solution to these menaces,” Javeed said.

Siddharth Agrawal, the road engineer from this ward, said that the rules of Indian Road Congress (IRC) were followed for creating this track. Agrawal said that the track has been designed in a way so that two bicycles could easily travel side by side.

“The railings that we have installed have been designed specifically for this project to give an aesthetic look. At the spots where there are tree basins, we have set up ramps. We have also painted the track and set up signages,” said Agrawal.

“The track is built on an elevated road and will benefit several local residents and children who cycle through this place regularly. The footpaths are also now free of encroachments,” he said.

Neeraj Desai, a city-based architect, said that similar steps should be followed by the BMC in congested localities of Ghatkopar, Andheri and Bandra.

“There are several places in the suburbs that need this kind of infrastructure. Several footpaths and roads are now being taken over by encroachers. Setting up this kind of cycle track will not only declutter space, but will also encourage more people to use bicycles for their commute, which can eventually lead to a decline in carbon footprint in the long run,” said Desai.