BHOPAL: Not only the roads in Bhopal are dilapidated but also the hyped bicycle track is in a shoddy condition. The tracks were developed five years ago on both the sides of the BRTS corridor on Hoshangabad road at a cost of Rs 5 crore.
The Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited (BSCDCL) officials floated a tender in July for repair work, reportedly of Rs 2.5 crore.
However, due to apathy of the smart city officials the maintenance work could never be done on the tracks and now a huge amount will be spent on maintenance, says former leader of opposition in the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mohammad Sageer.
The track was never used for cycling and if the BMC removes the divider and merges the track with the main road, there will be extra space for commuters.
12-km bicycle track along Hoshangabad road is badly damaged at many places | FP
12-km bicycle track along Hoshangabad road is badly damaged at many places | FP
There has even been an instance that a makeshift slum was developed on the track as officials never cared about it after building the track, says Sageer.
The track was developed by the smart city in 2016 under public bicycle scheme (PBS), to promote non motorised transport in the state capital. Also, it was said that it would add to the beauty of the road.However, the 12-kilometer long stretch is in as bad a condition as the roads around, as was found during a visit to Hoshangabad road.
One can’t even walk on the road let alone riding a bicycle, says a resident Niharika Singh.
She said the stray cattle even occupied the tracks and there was no one to check it. The stretch was developed at a cost of Rs 5 crore and due to apathy of the smart city officials, is in a pathetic state.
Another resident, Nikhil Singh said, “We hardly find anyone using the track to ride bicycles.”
12-km bicycle track along Hoshangabad road is badly damaged at many places | FP
He said the road was dilapidated and people would choose to walk on the track in the morning. But, it too is broken at several spots and is worn off, due to which walking is also not easy there, he added.
On the other hand the smart city officials say that the track would be maintained soon.
The Bhopal smart city development corporation (BSCDCL) manager Nitin Dave said the tender has been floated in July to repair the tracks and work will be initiated soon. He said that due to the rains, the work is on hold.
