West Bengal government plans dedicated cycle tracks across Kolkata

West Bengal government plans dedicated cycle tracks across Kolkata to promote sustainable transport.
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The West Bengal government is planning to turn Kolkata into a city of bicycles once again.

Prodded by the government, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has decided to engage a reputable consultancy firm to prepare a road map and comprehensive plan for setting up dedicated cycling zone and cycling path in the city.

The consulting agency will have to prepare a comprehensive public bicycle scheme with a detailed project report (DPR) for a pilot project. The agency will have to propose the number of cycle stations that must be set up in the core city area and also plan out the network of track, which will be mostly along the main arterial roads outside the core city area.
According to the tender documents, the selected agency will have to come up with the comprehensive plan within three months of commencing of work.
Sources from the urban development department said the government wants to promote cycling as a green mode of transport system.

The first public cycling scheme was introduced in New Town by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco). Though the scheme has been withdrawn temporarily, authorities are working to revive it by setting up dedicated parking lots for bicycles.
A few years back, the state had planned to develop a bus rapid transport system (BRTS) that also included a proposal for having a dedicated cycle track corridor on a large stretch of EM Bypass from near Metropolitan to Garia. The project did not materialise, but with the state government launching the green cities mission scheme that includes developing ecofriendly and sustainable measures, the need to develop dedicated cycle zones have rise again.

(Source: Times of India Kolkata dated 2019-12-02)