PCMC to adopt bike sharing schemes and pedestrian corridors
Under the Smart City Mission, the PCMC is planning pedestrianisation in a major way, with the civic body earmarking five roads as safe for pedestrians.
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The PMC is digging up footpaths on Fergusson College Road to lay cycle tracks and corridors for pedestrians. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)
Following in the footsteps of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri-Chinchwad is going to adopt bicycle sharing schemes, along with other forms of non-motorised transport under the Smart City Mission. Pimpri-Chinchwad is also planning to set up pedestrian corridors in five roads.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has sought expression of interest from bicycle companies to share their ideas in introducing this scheme. But preliminary plans indicate the civic body does not plan to invest in infrastructure like bicycle tracks.
PCMC Commissioner Shravan Hardikar said, “Even before being formally introduced, the bicycling sharing scheme has become popular in some areas in PCMC. There is a market for this mode of transport and initially, we plan to partner with private players, in a model similar to the one adopted by the PMC. Once we study the model’s feasibility, we can decide how the scheme can be expanded to other areas.”
The scheme will first be rolled out in high density population areas and areas where there are significant populations of IT professionals. The identified areas include Pimple Gurav, Wakad and Pimple Saudagar. At the same time, a similar scheme will be introduced in Chinchwad and Nigdi.
Under the Smart City Mission, the PCMC is planning pedestrianisation in a major way, with the civic body earmarking five roads as safe for pedestrians.
“Pedestrianisation is on high priority. We want to streamline and make roads safer for pedestrians. Five roads have been identified where pedestrian corridors are being developed. We aim to make mobility the most integrated, green and affordable,” said Hardikar.
While four of the five roads are in the Akurdi-Ravet area, the road near near DY Patil College and two parallel roads along the railway line in this locality, the fifth road is in Pimple Nilakh, where these special corridors will come up. Smart City areas like Pimple Gurav and Pimple Saudagar will also have such corridors, Hardikar said.
Once the model of non-motorised transport support by pedestrian corridors is introduced and tested, it will be expanded to more areas.
“But in newer developing areas, we are planning to keep public transport, which will be supplemented by non-motorised transport,” he said.
Tenders for pedestrianisation will be released soon and the scheme is expected to roll out by the end of this year.
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