Mysuru Cycling Club issues work order for 8 km bicycle track

MYSURU: Plans are afoot to expand the public bicycle sharing (PBS) project by adding more bikes and stations, but a safe trail for its users continues to be a concern.
The issue of providing an exclusive track for bicycler users has been deliberated several times over the years, but nothing concrete has happened on the ground. Cyclists continue to face challenges while commuting in the heart of Mysuru, especially during peak traffic hours and office timings.
The Mysuru Cycling Club secretary Lokesh N said riding bicycles on city roads in Mysuru is okay, but of late the condition of the roads have worsened making it hard to pedal on the cycles. “Separate path for riders of bicycles has been the main demand of all road users as users obviously feel the necessity due to the heavy movement of vehicles,” he added.
“I started bike racing two decades ago and launched bicycle business nearly a decade ago. An average of 200 bikers join the fraternity every year. It is the right time for the authorities to take necessary steps to create infrastructure, promote use of non-motorised vehicles, and thereby conserve the environment by reducing carbon footprint,” Lokesh said.
Mysuru got its first bicycle lane at Narasimharaja Boulevard near Administrative Training Institute almost one and a half decades back when the Mysuru City Corporation authorities evinced interest in promoting non-motorised vehicles. A separate path of 500 meters was created exclusively for bicycle users.
Thereafter, the issue of creating similar infrastructure across Mysuru was discussed in high-level meetings, but only to fizzle out later. Sometime back, three-foot areas on main roads were reserved for bicycles by marking them down with yellow paint on JLB Road, but it didn’t work. A similar path was planned on Mirza Road and was dropped later.
After the PBS system was launched in 2016, cyclists were hopeful that their grievances would be addressed, but they continue to be disappointed.
Areas earmarked
MCC commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy told TOI that the civic body has issued a work order for setting up bicycle paths on the main thoroughfares of Mysuru city. In all, the city will have 8km of tracks exclusively for bicycle users. The project will be taken up after the election process is completed. Areas have been earmarked on roads for bicycle tracks and in a few places where footpaths are wide, tracks will be created using part of the pathway.