BMC ready to pump money into Aaditya Thackeray's Mumbai cycling track

In a bid to get organisers and sponsors to run the 11-km cycling track till May-end, BMC offered to pay up to Rs3.5 lakh per event held over six Sundays.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is ready to spend up to ₹3.5 lakh, for six Sundays, to revive Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray’s Sunday cycling project between Marine Drive and Girgaum Chowpatty.

Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray had flagged off the project in December 2017. (HT File)

In a bid to get organisers and sponsors to run the 11-km cycling track till May-end, BMC offered to pay up to Rs3.5 lakh per event held over six Sundays.

Organisers have time till April 21 to submit their proposals. The track had previously been shut within weeks of its inauguration in December 2017 owing to a tussle between the traffic department and BMC.

The cycling track length was also cut short by 11km after traffic police denied permission for a 22-km trail from NCPA to Worli end. BMC planned to run the track on its own and open it by April 15 but is now considering organisers for the same.

“Lowest bidders will get the project. However, once we pay the organisers to run the track, they will not be allowed to put advertisements of other companies,” said Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, A ward.

The BMC plans to start similar cycling tracks between Bandra and Juhu and civic chief Ajoy Mehta has asked all 24 ward officers to study the feasibility of the same in their wards.