Get off the bus, pedal to wor

Get off the bus, pedal to work

Electronic city Techies will soon have 500 cycles to commute to offices from the gates

Sunitha Rao R. Bangalore



The 'Velib' or freedom bike, a scheme introduced two years ago, made Parisians go 'cycling mad'. But will the idea get as enthusiastic a response in Bangalore? We'll soon know. Techies working in Electronic City who commute by bus may soon have the option of renting a cycle — at Rs2 — for the ride from the bus stand to the office.
The RideACycle Foundation is seeking funds for a project that will allow employees of IT and IT-enabled services, who get off city buses at the HP entrance or the Infosys gate of Electronic City, to continue their journey to office on a bike.
The plan is to introduce 500 cycles initially, and then expand the numbers depending on the response.
As of now, there are about 400 autorickshaws which make an estimated 920 trips within Electronic City.
Arun Katiyar, trustee of RideACycle Foundation said, "We will conduct a survey for the initiation of the project. We must create awareness about the benefits of regular cycling. We estimate the project cost at approximately Rs1 crore; planning was initiated six months ago." Land issues aren't yet finalised; stakeholders are yet to be identified and approached.
Vinobha Isaac, town planning and transport expert, said, "The national urban development policy spells out that non-motorised, cycle movement is environmentally friendly. The ministry of urban development offers 80%funding for such schemes of transport."
H Prakash Rao, CEO, Electronic City Industries Association said, "This is the sort of initiative that can help save fuel, reduce pollution, and also help squeeze in some regular exercise in an otherwise busy routine."