Pedal Power in Paradise: Bannerghatta Biological Park to introduce bicycle rentals

Visitors to the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) will soon have another eco-friendly way to explore the park, as bicycles are set to join the fleet of electric buggies already in use.

Sunil Panwar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Executive Director of BBP, told DH that the project will be launched on a trial basis within the next week. “We plan to introduce 8 to 10 cycles on a rental basis on weekdays. We expect that more youngsters will opt for it,” he said.

Depending on the public response, officials plan to introduce a dedicated cycle track.

As the BBP prepares to roll out its new bicycle rental initiative, officials expect that their popularity might trigger a decline in demand for the electric buggies.

Since the introduction of the 10 electric buggies nearly four years ago, the vehicles have become a hit with visitors, particularly those who are elderly, disabled, or visiting with young children. However, with increasing footfall, the waiting time for the buggies have become significantly longer, prompting park officials to seek out new means of transportation to meet visitor demand.

“Close to 80% of the visitors prefer the buggies instead of strolling through the park. Every ride takes at least 45 minutes and when the crowd is huge, people will have to wait,” a senior BBP official said.

Suresh K, a visitor from Uttara Kannada, said he was disappointed with the management about the shortage of buggies. “Every buggy can take only close to 10 people, and we had to wait for nearly half an hour since people usually come in groups on holidays,” he said.

Officials are trying various methods to reduce the wait time, right from putting up posters to encouraging people to walk.

“During holidays, when the crowd is huge, we drop the visitors at the snake park. They can stroll through and hatch a ride to the exit in the next buggy. This way, we save close to 20 minutes,” one of the officials explained.

Concerns are also raised over the maintenance of the buggies with the park staff struggling with the task.

While Panwar claims that the park has a partnership with the manufacturer, sources suggest that park staff are in charge of changing batteries and tyres but lack the required skills.

The installation of speakers in electric buggies, intended to feature recordings of information on park attractions and elevate visitor experience, has yet to be implemented.

As a result, some visitors have voiced dissatisfaction with the buggy rides, claiming that they do not cover all of the park’s attractions.