HYDERABAD: India’s first-ever 23 km-long bicycle track with a solar roof will be opened on October 1 by Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD), KT Rama Rao. The bicycle track, stretching between Nanakramguda, Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA) Circle, as well as Narsingi and Kollur was developed along the service roads of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) between the main carriageway and the city-side service road. It has a width of 4.5 metres with three dedicated bicycle lanes and green spaces on either side. Out of the total length, 21 km will be equipped with a solar roof with an installed capacity of 16 MW.
The cycle track would cover the areas adjoining the city’s IT hub and rapidly emerging residential areas. The entire project is an improvised version of the South Korean cycle track project between Daejeon and Sejong cities. The track is equipped with several facilities for cyclists including parking spaces, surveillance cameras, bicycle docking and rental stations, food courts, drinking water, restrooms and basic bicycle repair shops.
There will be five bicycle stations at strategic locations, namely Nanakramguda, TSPA Junction, Narsingi, Kollur Junction, and Vattinagulapally. These stations will offer a total of 850 bicycle parking spaces, with 475 designated for own parking and 375 available for rental parking. The selected agency will be responsible for maintaining a minimum fleet of 125 bicycles suitable for various age groups. To ensure a smooth user experience, the licensee must meet the demand by providing sufficient bicycles without causing queues, even during peak hours and seasons. The agency must establish convenient payment methods, including online and cash options, for visitors to pay the required fees.
This facility, besides offering protection for the cyclists from sun, rain and other weather conditions, will isolate them from main traffic enhancing the safety of their commute. These benefits are in addition to the clean energy that will be produced through solar panels.