26 May,2010 09:17 AM IST | | Vivek Sabnis
Standing committee approves utilisation of funds from Rs 109.52 cr World Bank loan to lay cycle lanes in city
Cycling enthusiasts, start oiling the joints of that bicycle you have not used in years because of the heavy traffic on city roads.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has given the green signal to using a loan of Rs 109.52 crore from the World Bank for cycle tracks and other non-motorised transport solutions. The scheme will be implemented on 33 roads.
"We are expecting the loan in a month," said Arivind Shinde, chairman of the Standing Committee.
Once known as a cycle city, the rampant increase in powered vehicles on roads over the past two decades eventually edged out the pedal-powered mode of commuting.
Shinde said the project report was prepared and submitted for the approval of the state government in December 2008.
For pedestrians
The project also includes eight underground subways for pedestrians near the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) routes between Hadapsar and Katraj.
"Pune was selected as a pilot city for the non-motorised transport project by the Union Urban Development Department.
The project also comes under the Sustainable Urban Transport Programme of World Bank and UNDP," Shinde said.
| Other Proposals |
| OF the Rs 109.52 crore to come as a World Bank loan, the PMC is spending Rs 67.37 crore on 33 approach roads to BRTS at Shivneri road, Bibwewadi twin-road, Panchami Hotel Chowk and Shivarkar road. |
