Executive Summary The Comprehensive Bicycle Plan for Pune was approved and accepted by the Pune Municipal Corporation General Body on 14 December 2017. It has been prepared with financial support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt of India. 1. Background
Pune was once famous as a city of cyclists. Old timers recall their cycling days in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, when the cycle was the primary mode of commute for children and adults alike. Cycles were registered, and carried kerosene head lamps. Mornings and evenings were filled with the sound of cycle bells of people going to work along old Mumbai-Pune road and other areas. Safety on the roads was not such a concern since motorized vehicles were relatively lesser. However, ‘transportation’ is a major civic issue now. Facilities for walk, cycle, public transport have not kept pace with the growth of the city. The number of private motorized vehicles has increased very rapidly in last 10-15 years. This is leading to health impacts from polluted air, accidents, and wastage of time in congestion.
Recognizing the need to address this issue the Pune Municipal Corporation had adopted a Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP)in 2012. The vision for mobility in Pune articulated in the CMP is “Moving people safely and economically by emphasizing public transport and nonmotorized transport.”
As part of the efforts towards the realization of this vision, the PMC initiated the preparation of a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan for Pune through a project supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt. of India. PMC engaged iTrans, Prasanna Desai Architects and Centre for Environment Education (CEE) as the team of consultants to prepare the draft Pune Cycle Plan. Work on the Pune Cycle Plan started in 2016, and extensive surveys were carried out in 2016 as part of the situation analysis. Two rounds of public consultations were done as part of the process of preparing this draft plan. The first round of consultations was done in mid-2016. The intent of the PMC to prepare a cycle plan in the context of the CMP was explained. For this, meetings were arranged at each Ward Office and presentations were done to Prabhag Samitis and citizens groups. Meetings were done with cyclists’, representatives from cycle shops, various corporate groups promoting cycling. Inputs were also sought from non-cyclists. Inputs were sought on the current experience and expectations in relation to cycling, and conditions desired for noncyclists to shift to cycling. A Preliminary Draft of Pune Cycle Plan was published in August 2017, providing the results of the studies and detailed provisions for cycle improvement. Public inputs were sought on this preliminary draft through the second round of consultations, meetings and surveys done in August and September 2017. This time too, meetings were organized at ward offices for Prabhag Samitis and with citizens groups. Information about the preliminary provisions was also shared through newspaper articles, website and social media. Over 11000 individuals were directly engaged in different ways through these forums, in addition to the dissemination of information through newspapers, website and social media.
2. Key Findings The studies and public consultations underline the need for city-wide cycle infrastructure to promote safety for current cyclists and to attract more people to cycling.
7
