What's in the budget for city's fitness buffs?

The Karnataka government has announced in its budget on Friday a public bicycle system for Bengaluru. That's good news, yes, but will the idea work?

The government is entrusting the job of creating and running the network to the BBMP.

Previous attempts to promote cycling in Bengaluru have failed. Dedicated cycle lanes are used for parking cars. Jayanagar provides a prime example of how cycle lanes aren't serving their purpose.

Rohan Kini, founder of Bums on the Saddle, has mixed feelings about the government's announcement. "Cycling infrastructure is critical to kicking off cycling as a lifestyle. Everything depends on the execution," he says.

If done well, with proper investments and cycling community involvement, he expects it to be a game changer. Kini says existing cycle lanes have failed to build a cycling network, "but they definitely gave cycling a lot of mindspace and talking space."  

Fitness buffs welcome the yoga centres planned for Bengaluru. The centres will be named after actor and yoga practitioner Dr Rajkumar. Manish Pole of Total Yoga calls it a good initiative. "It will provide employment for yoga teachers. And since it is a government initiative, the fees will be subsidised," he says.

Yoga is a global phenomenon and the idea to name it after Rajkumar, who inspired many to take up yoga, is a nice touch, he says.

"He was one of the earliest practitioners of yoga in the film industry in Bengaluru," Pole says.