24 spots to be dedicated to bicycle parking in H west ward

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is set to dedicate 24 spots across the H West ward to bicycle parking as part of a pilot project to promote eco-friendly transportation. Each stand can park five bicycles and two stands will be installed in each of the selected spots, with 50 stands in total across the ward accommodating up to 250 bicycles. The initiative is set to be launched on World Environment Day on June 5.

Kicker: BMC pilot project

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Mumbai: In a bid to promote eco-friendly transportation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as a part of its pilot project, is set to dedicate 24 spots across the H West ward to bicycle parking. According to the plan, each of these stands can park five bicycles and two stands will be installed in each of the selected spots.

The decision comes after Cycle Chala City Bacha, an initiative by Smart Commute Foundation, an NGO, along with Ashish Shelar, BJP MLA from Bandra West constituency, designed a proposal and presented it to Iqbal Chahal, municipal commissioner and administrator, BMC, on Monday.

As per the proposal, which was approved by Chahal, some of the selected spots include Bandra (West), Khar (West) and Santacruz (West) railway stations. Other prominent spots identified for placing the stands are Carter Road, Bandstand, Rizvi College and National College, outside various parks and a few market areas.

As per the proposal, a total of 50 stands will be installed. Each stand can park five bicycles; hence, these stands can accommodate 250 bicycles in total. As per the presentation, the cost of installation of each stand is expected to be ₹9,000 with additional costs for signages and other services.

“I want the H West ward to be the first in being bicycle friendly. We plan to launch the project on the World Environment Day on June 5,” said Shelar. “This project will be launched to promote a more sustainable means of transport and to encourage commuters to consider cycling as a mode of transport,” added Shelar.

Chahal said the proposal is approved and added that the BMC plans to implement this project in all wards once the pilot is executed and tested.

“This initiative is indeed a positive step forward. The shift to eco-friendly transportation can only be accomplished with sufficient supporting infrastructure, which has traditionally been designed primarily for motor vehicles,” said Saakshi Teckchandani from PPA INDIA, an organisation working in the field of environment restoration and climate mitigation.

“This pilot project by the BMC, focussing on installing bicycle stands, can potentially inspire more individuals to cycle, fostering sustainable habits and contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions,” added Teckchandani.