Sunday cycling back on track, consultant asked to ready NCPA-Worli stretch for it

MUMBAI: BMC will resume the cycling track in south Mumbai from Sunday on popular demand and has appointed a consultant to organize the event.
It will pay the consultant around Rs 3 lakh to arrange the event every Sunday morning till the arrival of the monsoon, after which civic officials will review the demand and decide about continuing it after the rains. "He has to provide at least 30 cycles on rent to citizens, an ambulance service, a towing van and barricade a lane from the NCPA to Girgaum Chowpatty," said assistant municipal commissioner Kiran Dighavkar.

The BMC started the track last December after allowing a group to organize it. They had barricaded a lane from NCPA to Worli for cyclists but traffic police said it was not possible for a dedicated lane up to Worli, citing the narrow lane at Babulnath Temple and the busy Pedder Road stretch.

BMC then reduced the stretch and allowed cycling every Sunday from 6am-10am between NCPA and Girgaum Chowpatty. The plan was successful for few weeks but was cancelled on two Sundays due to VVIP movement on the stretch. Then, there was an issue between BMC and the group to arrange for a sponsor to recover expenses.

Eventually, BMC put the plan in cold storage. On public demand, it decided to organize the event again at public cost. It invited tenders and shortlisted a consultant. The consultant wanted to promote his brand but the civic chief only allowed volunteers to wear T-shirts promoting it at the event.