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Cycling group aims to raise ridership by 100% till 2025 in Mumbai

BMC has been positive on providing infrastructure for the cycling community and projects like Sunday cycling track at Marine Drive and the Tansa pipeline cycling project are becoming a reality and more Mumbaikars, says Firoza Suresh

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While the BMC is pushing its ambitious 36-km cycling track along the Tansa pipeline for cyclists, the Smart Commute Foundation (SCF) a city-based group promoting cycling has pledged to increase the cycle ridership in Mumbai by 100 per cent till 2025 under its Mumbai Cycle Plan (MCP) project.

"BMC has been positive on providing infrastructure for the cycling community and projects like Sunday cycling track at Marine Drive and the Tansa pipeline cycling project are becoming a reality and more Mumbaikars need to adopt cycling for short distances or commuting as its not only environment friendly but it will also reduce congestion on roads," said avid cyclist Firoza Suresh, who heads SCF adding that it was important for Mumbai to have more cyclists so that the infrastructure being provided is properly utilised and Mumbai can aspire to be the next Amsterdam, which is the most popular bicycle friendly city.

She added that SCF aims to build cycling culture and connect with citizens through programmes that would encourage cycling to school and colleges as well as work place. "Apart from encouraging people to take up cycling we would also work with authorities to create better infrastructure for cyclists, which would not only include road space but also bicycle sharing and renting schemes," she said adding that their target is that 50 per cent of all individuals in age group of 12 to 40 should make at least one trip per week on the cycle.

Dhawal Ashar , Managing Associate, Urban Transport and Road Safety at World Resource Institute (WRI) shared that as per the Comprehensive Mobility Plan 46 percent of all trips made in Mumbai are non motorised trip, which includes walking and cycling. "We have to make several cycling hubs by identifying smaller routes that too keeping in mind connectivity and it can be done by effective management of road space," he said.

Transport expert Ashok Datar said that pedestrians and cyclists need to have their space in Mumbai and BMC can easily design footpaths which have dedicated section for pedestrians as well as cyclists," he said adding that a lot of lesson needs to be learnt from Shanghai, which has similar conditions like Mumbai but was giving emphasis to cycling.

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