Bicycle project back in reckoning in Pune

The long-pending bicycle project of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is likely to be implemented soon as the municipal administration has finalised a contractor to run the project.

A proposal for approval of the tender to implement the project on design-build-own-operate-transfer is to be put up before the PMC's standing committee.

The proposal would be considered by the standing committee at its meeting on Tuesday, according to leader of opposition and group leader of the Congress, Aba Bagul, who has been following up the matter.

Bagul said that according to the proposal, the project is to be implemented along the 123-km of cycle tracks in the city. The contractor would establish cycle stands in 25 locations along the tracks in public space owned by the PMC.

Initially, 300 bicycles would be made available for the project. Smartcards for 600 members of the scheme would be provided. The card would be available for Rs700, out of which Rs500 would be refundable deposit.

It is expected that membership of the scheme would increase by 600 per year from next year. Accordingly, the number of bicycles available would also be increased.

In the first year, members of the scheme would not be required to pay fare for the first two hours of use of the bicycles. After that they would be required to pay Rs10 for each extra half hour. In the next year, there would not be any fare for first half hour of use.

Members of the project would be allowed to take a bicycle at any of the stands, use it and then return it at any other cycle stand.
Each cycle stand would result in expenditure of Rs4 lakh. Every bicycle would cost Rs4,000. The PMC would provide initial capital of Rs4 crore for the project, said Bagul.

The civic body had called for bids for this novel project by the end of 2010. But there was no response from contractors. Subsequently, there was no response repeatedly for the call by the PMC to run the project.

Ultimately, the civic body got bids in its latest attempt and one of the bidders has been selected to implement the project. The PMC would undertake an agreement for five years with the contractor.

It would be the responsibility of the contractor to maintain cycle stands and bicycles. In return, the contractor would get advertising rights on 100 square feet area on bicycle stands.