After Dwarka, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is in the process of drafting a cycle-sharing policy to decongest the capital. In this regard, the DDA is looking to implement the policy in coordination with other urban local bodies (ULB). The department is in the process of drafting a concept note. After due consultation with other agencies, officials said, this will be submitted to the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC). Senior DDA officials said the department wants each ULB to bring forth its own policy on cycle-sharing, which will then be discussed with the DDA. [related-post] “We want all agencies including the three municipal corporations, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and others to pitch in and come forth with their own ideas on how to introduce the project in their respective areas. Each agency will have its own issues. Since the project has to be implemented across the city, all agencies should be involved and have to come up with solutions collectively." Following this, we will work out the modalities of how the cycle tracks will be constructed in each area and where the stands should be put up,” a senior DDA official said. “The system will cover 65 km. It will be equipped with smart-card based interface and computerised docking facilities. There will be a one-time registration fee of Rs 300-500 for users,” the official said, adding that all cycles for future projects will be fitted with GPS devices to track their routes. Commenting on the financial modalities of the project, an official said that once a private agency is hired to implement and operate the project in an area, the one time capital investment will be shared by the private agency and by the government agency which will be the ‘project promoter’. Subsequent earnings from the project, however, will go to the private agency directly. “The idea is to provide a clean and green method of transportation. The upcoming project in Dwarka is a first-of-its-kind project in the country. We want to set up more cycle stations to improve last mile connectivity, thereby ensuring that more and more people use this facility. Since the aim is to de-congest the capital, the government has to be willing to make a sacrifice in terms of not taking in any of the project’s earnings,” the official said. The DDA will also highlight its project in Dwarka in its concept note. The DDA has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Green Mobility (CGM) in this regard.
