'Trin Trin' bicycles hit Mysuru roads

52 bike hubs or docking stations identified in city

Even as the nation’s first Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system ‘Trin Trin’ was officially launched here on Wednesday, those already using bicycles for local transport and those who want to adopt one demand reserved and secure parking space in public places.

The PBS system is a state government project partially funded by the World Bank under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) grant. It is planned and implemented by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

A total of 450 bicycles fitted with GPS, including five electric cycles and a few multi-gear cycles suitable for Chamundi Hill, will be put to use under the project. The authorities have identified 52 bike hubs or docking stations, and works on 36 of them have been completed. The docking centres will be under CCTV surveillance.

Cycles will be available for public use within 10 days and smart cards linked to Aadhaar cards, with introductory offers, will be issued soon. Cycle lanes are already available at several points on Lalitha Mahal Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, Devaraja Urs Road, Jhansi Lakshmi Bai road and Radhakrishnan Avenue.

Mysuru, which has already earned sobriquets like ‘Heritage City’, ‘City of Palaces’, ‘Clean City’, ‘Cultural City’ is also gearing up to become the ‘Green City’. However, traditionally Mysuru is a comparatively sober city and people still use bicycles for day-to-day local transportation. Besides, there are some eco-sensitive and also health-concious citizens, who have opted for some expensive high-end cycles for transportation as well as to stay fit. Many more people want to buy cycles for exercising as well for transportation, but complain of poor infrastructure and lack of parking facilities.

In the entire city, exclusive parking space is provided for cycles only at the city railway station, Chamarajapuram railway station and KSRTC sub-urban bus stand. The city bus stand does not have any parking facility.

In the said three public places, where cycle parking is provided, the space is very little and cyclists does not get the priority like those who use motorised vehicles. In the sub-urban bus stand, a little space below a flight of staircase has been provided. The place is filled with dust and dirt.

Chandan, who works for a cloth merchant near Uma Talkies, says he brings his cycle only to the city railway station as parking space is not available elsewhere.

Mahadeva, a resident of NR Mohalla, who works for a pharmaceutical agency, says, no parking space is available exclusively for cycles anywhere in the city.

“I park my cycle in between motorbikes, if space is available. Otherwise, I park it on footpaths. Police do not mind as it is only a bicycle. Thieves are not bothered as it is only an old cycle,” he said.

N Sathish Kumar, a doctor doing MS in Surgery in-duty at the Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute, says, he cycles every day in the early morning hours for exercising, but is scared of riding it amid the wild traffic.

“Those riding or driving motorised vehicles do not care for cyclists. Parking is also a problem. It is okay for old type cycles. But, to park our high-end cycles, we need security and reserved parking space,” he said.