Bicycle Tracks Mandatory For Housing Project Approval In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: To promote non-motorized transport (NMT) for a clean city environment, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has made Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS)  mandatory for all housing projects.

The Building Plan Committee of the development authority had also decided that the provision for the dedicated cycle tracks should be an integral part of planning.

BDA Vice-Chairman Prem Chandra Chaudhary said, “Our purpose is to inculcate the passion for cycling among children and school students by providing them adequate and safe infrastructure in the area they live in as the Millennials have almost forgotten cycling as a mode of transport.”

All housing units in Bhubaneswar should give the highest priority to public transport, walking and non-motorised vehicles including cycle tracks that are accessible to almost everyone, he added.

According tot the guidelines, all future housing projects and those currently awaiting approval must provide enough infrastructures for implementing the non-motorized transport system as part of the initiative towards making Bhubaneswar a sustainable Smart City.

The Regulation 52 of BDA (Planning and Building Standards) Regulations, 2018, allows the Authority to specify guidelines for prescribing standards of street design, setting up and operationalization of Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) programme, infrastructure at plot/project level to promote non-motorized transport and public transport, street improvement programme to promote and develop sustainable urban transport infrastructure, with prior approval of the state government.

The BDA also has a provision for sustainable urban transport at project level (building/land development).

Notably, the city administration comprising Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked every employee, including the outsourced staff, to shun vehicles and come to office once in a week (on Friday) on cycle or by foot to promote clean and pollution free environment.