Free cycle plan: 2,500 students will have to wait for another year

Nearly 2,500 students of municipal schools will be unable to get their free bicycles for the rest of the academic year, thanks to the delay in Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) free cycle distribution scheme. The civic body was supposed to distribute free cycles to students nearly four months ago but delay in tendering process means students are likely to get it in the next academic year only.

In order to promote non-motorised transport in the city, PMC is encouraging school students to use cycles for commuting. Free passes were earlier distributed to students for PMPML buses and later PMC announced a scheme of providing 2,500 free cycles for students studying in civic schools.

PMC had invited tender but had to go for re-tendering following poor response.

PMC store department head Shrinivas Kandul said, “After re-tendering, we have finalised an agency.”

The procedure will take two to three months and cycles will be made available only when schools will be undergoing annual exams.