Minister for Urban Development S. Suresh Kumar has proposed segregated tracks for cycling along Lalitha Mahal Road to encourage the habit among people.
The Minister, who was inspecting various development works in the city, noted that Mysore could be made “bicycle-friendly” as the terrain was mostly flat. “We have tried it at Lalbagh in Bangalore, but Mysore was suited for cycling and we want to promote the habit in a big way in the city,” said Mr. Kumar.
Noting that there were divergent views on the expansion of Lalitha Mahal Road that entailed tree-felling, Mr. Kumar said though the court order had removed restrictions on tree-felling for road expansion, all efforts would be made to conceive and implement projects that would help save the trees. “There are 126 trees, mostly neem, along the avenue and we will take steps to save them as far as possible,” said the Minister.
Though the concept of a pedestrian zone and cycling zone was mooted in the city development plan (CDP) submitted under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Development Mission (JNNURM) in 2005, the city planners failed in their endeavour and the concept was never taken seriously.
