Bhubaneswar: With an aim to upgrade cycling infrastructure to ensure citizens must feel safe and secure while cycling, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday started a massive enforcement activity on some of busy thoroughfares and streets of the capital city to clear encroachments and freeing footpath and cycle tracks from the clutches of street vendors.
The Central Joint Enforcement Squad comprising the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Bhubaneswar Development Authority and along with the Commissionerate Police started clearing encroachments at AG Square, Sishu Bhawan, Rajmahal Square and roads near Indira Gandhi Park to create space of cycle track.
On the first day of eviction drive, the special squad removed around 10 unauthorized vendors (trolleys), roadside cabins, tiffin centers which attract huge crowd resulting in movement restriction of pedestrians and cyclists. Besides, the Squad also imposed fine of Rs 5200 om some shop keepers for occupying and dumping construction materials on cycle tracks at Bapuji Nagar in South East Zone of the Civic Body.
In South West Zone, the enforcement squad also cracked down on five fruit selling trollies, one car and one pollution testing vehicle occupying footpath and cycle tracks. A fine of Rs 5000 was collected from people for dumping construction debris on the cycle tracks.
Similarly, the joint squad also carried out an encroachment eviction drive on Airport-Patia stretch to remove unauthorized and illegal shops occupying footpaths and cycle tracks.
“Strict encroachment eviction drive will be continued to free the cycle track and footpath to make ensure that pedestrians and cyclists shouldn’t face any difficulties while using the roads,” said BMC Commissioner-cum-BSCL Chief Executive Officer, Prem Chandra Chaudhary.
The Enforcement activities were carried out under supervision of Abani Knata Patnaik, Additional Commissioner, Anshuman Rath, Zonal Deputy Commissioner, South-East Zone and Rabi Narayan Jethy, Zonal Deputy Commissioner, South-West Zone of BMC.
Auto Drivers Vow To Respect Cyclists:
In one-of-its-kind endeavor, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd (BSCL) in association with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) today organized a pledge taking event for auto drivers in Bhubaneswar to make them aware, sensible and respectful towards cyclists in the city.
Over 70 auto drivers from Zone-1 (Patia) of Smart City Online Auto Group took #RespectTheCyclist pledge in presence of BMC and BSCL officials at Niladri Vihar today morning on obeying traffic rules and maintaining proper road etiquettes. They have vowed to help the road becoming safer and secured for cyclists by putting up stickers, posters and banners in their autos.
“It’s a good initiative to promote cycling in Bhubaneswar. We have taken the pledge, and will ensure that all cyclists feel safe on the city roads through our actions,” said Shri Dinabandhu Nayak, Chairman, Smart City Online Auto Group, who has taken the lead in creating awareness among his fellow auto drivers to make the initiative successful.
The Smart City Online Auto Group, which has eight zones, is an association of over 1500 autos plying in different areas in the city.
Cycle Promotion Event At Apartment:
The BSCL has organized an event in the premises of Balaji Apartment in Jharpada to educate and create awareness among the apartment residents, including children and elderly people. They have also taken pledge to use cycle as a mode of transport and to promote cycling culture in Bhubaneswar.
A slow cycle race and a quiz competition was organized for children to educate them about various health benefits of cycling.
Kamaljit Das, General Manager (Administration), BSCL and Nodal Officer of the programme ‘Cycles4Challenge’ coordinated and supervised the entire programme. “We are reaching out different sections of the society and educating them about numerous benefits of cycling to encourage people to opt for cycling as a popular of transport in the city,” Das added.
Notably, the BSCL in association with the BMC, had started ‘cyclegiri’ as part of ‘Cycles4Change’ campaign on October 9 to promote the cycling in the capital city.
Bhubaneswar is one of the 95 cities to have registered for the India Cycles4Change Challenge, which is an initiative of Smart Cities Mission of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.