Good news for BKC's cycling track

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) decision to source bicycles from a particular agency, which people can use free of cost, comes across as an effort to undo what most people have termed as a ‘costly mistake’.

Officials say the agency that will be awarded the contract will be responsible for setting up bicycle stands, from where people can use bicycles to ride around the business district. “The agency is also supposed to provide street furniture in lieu of advertisement rights.

This includes benches, litter bins, information and direction boards, multipurpose booths, flag poles, kiosks, bollards, bus shelters, tree guards and public conveniences. The tendering process to finalise the agency is set to be completed by Monday afternoon,” said Shankar Deshpande, joint project director, town planning, MMRDA.

The MMRDA inaugurated the 13-km-long cycling track two years ago. Built at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore, it subsequently drew flak for poor planning and misuse of public funds. Unfortunately the track has been lying unused since then and is currently used as a resting place by stray dogs and as a parking lot by taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers.

Vishal Sharma, founder of Bandra Cycling Club, said, he and his group would not like to use the track as it is too narrow. “The track is so narrow that two riders riding in opposite directions are likely to collide.

Moreover, it is very risky to ride in that particular track, as outgrown tree branches of trees along the track are likely to obstruct the rider’s view, which can result in an accident,” said Sharma. “Why did the authorities not consider building a wider track, which could run along the sea, from Nariman Point to Borivli?”

Santacruz resident Vikash Kapadia agreed with Sharma. “I obviously would not go to BKC in my car and then use a bicycle to reach my office. It would have made sense if I could have cycled all the way to my BKC office,” said Kapadia. Sumesh Lekhi, who goes for cycling trips regularly and is associated with Oshiwara Lokhandwala Citizens Association (OLCA) riders, another cycling group, said he can use the track only at leisure and not on a regular basis.

“It was not a good idea to construct the track in BKC. Instead the track should have been constructed between residential localities, say Lokhandwala to Juhu. That would have served the purpose of using cycles better,” said Lekhi.

MMRDA authorities are, however, hopeful that once these cycles and cycling stands fall into place, people will start using the track. “So far, the track was not equipped with these amenities. Once they are available, people are definitely going to use the cycles and the track,” said Deshpande.

Bandra Cycle Club charity event
In a unique initiative, Bandra Cycle Club will launch their calendar, the Bandra Cycle Club Calendar 2014, to support five charitable organisations. The group members came together to shoot for the calendar on September 15. “Last year, too, we raised Rs 6 lakh for Malad-based NGO, Swagat Ashram, through our calendar. This year, we will raise funds for five such organisations,” said Vishal Sharma, founder of Bandra Cycle Club.

Each calendar will be sold at a price of Rs 200. It will have photographs of both the members of the group as well as the NGOs. This time, the club, which has 1,500 registered members, will raise funds for Health and Disease, MSSI, Priyanka Foundation, Shiksha Nirman, and Swagat Ashram.