DULT survey identifies 800 bicycle parking hubs in city

BENGALURU: After a month-long survey as part of the Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) System Phase-2, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) has identified 800 bicycle parking hubs. The regions include one section of Outer Ring Road (ORR), and stretches of 10 sq km each in Malleswaram and Jayanagar. These clusters were demarcated based on several parameters such as employment hubs and activity generators.

The distance between hubs are between 200 and 300 metres. While ORR was not originally part of the Phase-2, it was added owing to demand from techies who cycle to work daily.Murali Krishna, Special Officer, DULT, said, “We have located around 200 potential bicycle parking hubs on ORR from Old Airport Road to Iblur. They will be located on the footpath, on government lands and near lakes. The other part of the ORR will be covered gradually. ” Once this section of ORR has parking hubs, it will connect Phase-1 hubs from Indiranagar and HSR Layout.

“The parking hubs, depending on the size, can house 14, 28 or 56 bicycles. We are finalising the hubs and will send it to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) for their approval. For Phase-2, the clusters include JP Nagar, Kengeri and Hebbal. We also plan to include either Electronic City or Whitefield,” he added. As Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) is working on the Metro line from KR Puram to Silk Board, this section of ORR has been left out of the survey for now. Several IT companies on the eastern part of the ORR, will benefit from bicycle parking hubs. For effective last mile commute, the bicycle lanes must connect the stretch along Tumakuru Road, Bellary Road, Old Madras Road, Hosur Road, Bannerghatta Road, Kanakapura Road, Mysuru Road and Magadi Road.