Pune to pedal the Copenhagen way

For those of you who haven’t been to Copenhagen, Denmark, it’s time to put on your cycling-gear. Why? Well, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is in the process of drafting a Cycling Plan that could make the city a mirror image of the Danish capital, where the most popular and preferred means of transport is the humble bicycle. Dedicated cycling tracks, parking spaces, rental services and more; imagine how Pune would look if all this is put in place.On paper, the plan is somewhat similar to the Copenhagen model and spells happiness for cycling enthusiasts of the city.
The Copenhagen cycling model
Cycling is the most important means of transportation of Copenhagen. There is an extensive and well planned cycle track around the city, which makes it convenient for cyclists to pedal around. The City of Copenhagen’s Bicycle Strategy 2011-2025 aims at making the capital of Denmark the world’s best city to cycle in.
An answer to traffic and pollution woes
According to PMC figures, on an average, 500 vehicles are registered in the city on a daily basis. Multiply that by 30 or 365 and the sheer number of vehicles on the roads is humungous. With so many vehicles plying the road, traffic congestion and increase in pollution levels is but obvious. On the other hand, the bicycle reduces two problems — no air or noise pollution and much lesser chances of congestion and accidents.
The cycle plan includes
Creating a cycle network
Parking space for cycles
Putting a Public Bicycle System in place which includes rental plans
Rise in fitness levels
Amidst the peak hour chaos, it is hard to miss the cycling-gear clad enthusiasts who cycle to work daily, but the number of these is quite low as of now. For people with desk jobs, body ailments have become quite common and the draining work hours ultimately make them lead a sedentary lifestyle. Put cycles in the picture and your problem is solved. You might not get time to work out throughout the day, but a daily trip from home to office and back is sure to put your fitness graph on the rise.
Popular cycling tracks in Pune
Hadapsar
Sinhagad Road
Kothrud
SNDT College road
MMCC to Prabhat Road
Model Colony
Race Course road (Barring the SNDT, and MMCC to Prabhat Road tracks, the rest are in bad condition. Plus, motorcycles ply these tracks, posing a threat to cyclists.)
City cyclists’ take
City cyclists are happy, but are unsure of the implementation of The concept. it should be implemented one region at a time. The plan is like a social healthcare initiative because it will help reduce pollution and accidents, and increase fitness levels of Puneites. It will also increase green cover. Take the National Defence Academy (NDA) for example; it is mandatory for the cadets to use bicycles and that’s why the campus is so well-maintained. The same can happen to the entire city if the Cycling Plan is implemented properly
— Prasad Purandare
The reason behind proposing such plans is to find a way for money laundering. What can be done to really help cyclists, is educate vehicle-owners about following traffic rules, which have become a joke. As long as people don’t follow them, no plan can succeed. The cycling plan can only work out if traffic is disciplined. It’s not a magic wand that you wave and suddenly everything is sorted out.
— Divya Tate
The existent cycling tracks and footpaths have more hawkers and parked vehicles than cyclists or pedestrians. So it is important to create awareness among people about cycling. The plan might help reduce traffic woes but traffic needs to be disciplined for it to be implemented in the first place
— Abhijeet Marathe