Bicycle sharing system to be introduced in Panchkula

Rajinder S Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 17

Aiming to promote use of bicycle and provide an alternative to the transport system, the Panchkula Municipal Corporation has decided to start Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system in city.

The project will be launched in three months, which will have first and last mile connectivity in Panchkula. The tenders in this regard will be called soon. Panchkula MC Commissioner-cum-Administrator, Rajesh Jogpal, said the proposed Cycle Sharing System will have 200 cycles spread over minimum 20 stations across the city. The system will run for a period of at least 14 hours every day.

Giving details about the design, he said Panchkula Municipal Corporation is launching a bicycle sharing system and implementing Street Design Interventions (Model Street Design) in Panchkula as part of its sustainable urban development vision.

“We firmly believe that improving street design and bicycle sharing are excellent ways for promoting safety and non-motorised transport in the city,” says Jogpal.

In the year 2017, out of 30 deaths reported in the Panchkula city area, 53 per cent involved pedestrian and cyclists. MC Commissioner said they were in the process of making streets and roads of Panchkula safe for everyone, but at the same time it is important to introduce some schemes to make cycling popular. Panchkula is an ideal city and is planned on grid-iron road pattern to introduce Public Bicycle Sharing system, where each existing bus queue shelter would be used as hub station, he said.