HYDERABAD: Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) KT Rama Rao said that several more cycling lanes will be set up in the Financial District, Neopolis area and in the newly-launched Budvel cluster. He was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of ‘Healthway’, India’s longest cycling track on Sunday.
The 23-km-long cycle track - stretching between Nanakramguda and Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA) Circle as well as Narsingi and Kollur - has a width of 4.5 metres with three dedicated bicycle lanes adorned by green spaces on either side. Out of the total length, 21 km will be covered with a solar roof with an installed capacity of 16 MW. The power generated will save electricity expenditure for the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the cost of the solar panels will be recovered in six years, he informed.
There will be five bicycle stations at Nanakramguda, TSPA Junction, Narsingi, Kollur Junction, and Vattinagulapally. These stations will offer car and bicycle parking, food stalls, cycle repair and rental stations and rest areas, Rama Rao informed.
Speaking on the lifestyle diseases plaguing the country, the minister said that owning motorised vehicles has become a “status symbol” in India. Citing examples from countries like Denmark, France and Holland, he said, “Why can’t we let more and more people do this in our backyard?”
The minister pointed out that the lighting is aesthetically positioned to add value to the cityscape and to enable cyclists to use the track at any hour.
The CCTVs are connected to the Cyberabad Police command centre for 24x7 monitoring, he said. For the convenience of persons who do not own cycles, multiple bicycle rental agencies will be finalised in the coming weeks, the minister informed. To enhance the experience, health food and retail kiosks will be set up. “We would like to see more and more amenities being added to the track such as skating rinks, tennis courts, badminton courts and more at Narsingi hub as part of phase two,” he shared.