Enthusiasts, cops move to make city cycling-friendly

Nagpur: With an objective of making Nagpur a cycling-friendly city, a local citizens group is launching a first-of-its-kind initiative by creating a traffic-free zone.
The initiative is being launched by city group India Pedals along with Nagpur police, under the supervision of deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Vikram Sali.
It will start from June 21 when citizens will get a traffic free zone of four kilometres for cycling from 7am to 8am. The designated route will be Ladies Club square, GPO, Akashwani Square, VCA square, Tirpude College, Japanese Garden and back at Ladies Club square.
The route will be completely free of motorized vehicles. “Our long-term objective is to make Nagpur cycling friendly. More than 90% people here have their offices, schools, colleges and market places within two-to-five kilometres, still they use car or two-wheelers instead of cycles,” said Dr Amit Samarth, founder of India Pedals.
The group wants to establish an advocacy with the local administration to promote cycling in the city and have dedicated infrastructure like cycling tracks and parking places at offices, malls and markets. “We will be working with the city police to make roads safer for cycling as well as for pedestrians. Right now, the biggest hurdle in people’s minds is that roads are unsafe for cycling,” said Samarth.
Highlighting the environmental benefits of the initiative, the city doctor added, “More use of non-motorized transport like cycling will reduce use of fuel. If thousands of short trips in the city are done using bicycles, it will significantly cut down the carbon emissions and create a healthy living environment.”
The group plans to make the initiative a regular affair for weekends in the city. “A designated road will be closed for two hours in morning where people can come and ride their bicycles. From elders to children to senior citizens, anyone can be a part of it. There will be no race or rally, we just want to promote cycling as a way of life,” said Samarth.