KMRL's Bicycle Sharing Program For A Green Kochi

07 May 2018
Nikhil
Features

Kochi Metro Rail Limited's Non- Motorised Transport (NMT) project lays a milestone today with the launch of bicycle sharing program in Ernakulam

In March 2016, KMRL came up with a project of pedaling away with KMRL, to promote non-motorised transport in order to reduce pollution levels in the city. They had announced earlier that they will construct walkways and bicycle tracks, which connects metro stations and the city. Not only Cycle tracks, bicycle's to be given to commuters were also the part of the plan.

KMRL launched the Public Bike Sharing program today at the parking lot of MG Road Metro Station (Madhava Pharmacy Jn...
Posted by Kochi Metro on Monday, 7 May 2018

After two years of long wait, finally, KMRL's public bicycle sharing programme launched this morning at MG Road metro rail station, making 50 bicycles available to commuters. The program has taken along with the association of Athi’s Bicycle Club. Bicycles will be available at all seven metro stations and KMRL will add more cycles in every station eventually.

Source: timesofindia

As the Data From Air Pollution Monitoring Stations Show High Suspended Particulate Matter, quality of air in Ernakulam is getting worse day by day. The main moto behind the introduction of bicycles is to encourage non-polluting modes of transport in the Greater Kochi area. M.S. Athirup, founder of Athi’s Bicycle Club, who had been associated with the bike sharing programme says his mission is to “promote bicycling as a sustainable mode of transportation by establishing a cross-city bicycling club and introducing a linear, integrated and flexible mode of bicycling.”

While KMRL started to provide pedaling pathways and bicycles, cycling enthusiasts are much more excited as the chief minister's office has responded to their petition for a cycle track for the city, positively. Pedal Force, a social welfare association aiming at restoring bicycles as a widely accepted mode of transportation submitted the petition which included a project plan and collection of signatures demanding the track.

Not only cycles, authorities are saying that the works for the installation of GPS on private buses which run on the city will be over by May 15 and a multi-modal ticketing platform will be launched by mid-June. However, everyone in the city is in a hope for the perfectly arranged string of transportation in the city and for fewer motor vehicles on roads and for a reduction in pollution levels in Kochi.

Source: thehindu