Cycling enthusiasts in the city can now carry their foldable cycles in the last coach of Namma Metro trains.
The move, which is aimed at promoting the green initiative, will also keep cycles exempt from the extra baggage charges. However, the cycles should be of the prescribed dimensions and weight limit, said Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in a press release on Tuesday.
“The size of the foldable bicycle shall not exceed 60 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm in dimension and it shall not be over 15 kg in weight. It will be subjected to security checks through the baggage scanner during entry,” the release said.
Explaining the math behind the dimensions, Yashwanth Chavan, spokesperson, BMRCL said, “Those are the sizes of cycles which will fit inside our security scanners. We have to scan those cycles keeping in mind the safety of the other passengers. Weight wise, most foldable cycles do not exceed our limits”.
He added that even though foldable cycles were allowed in metro trains for quite some time now, dedicating a fixed coach will make the process more systematic.
“In six-coach trains, as there is more space in the first and last compartments (and the first compartment has been reserved for female passengers), the cyclists can travel with their cycles in the last compartment.”
BMRCL has said that cycle owners should ensure that their cycles are neatly packed so as to not cause inconvenience to other passengers.
The cycling community has welcomed the move while also suggesting other measures to make the metro more cyclists friendly. Although, the number of those who have foldable cycles is significantly lesser, community members say.
“While this is a good initiative, BMRCL should also look at providing free parking at metro stations for those who bring their own cycles. Designs for it are already available with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT). They should also look at initiating talks with public bicycle sharing operators to encourage them to become ambassadors for such things,” said Satya Sankaran, the ‘Bicycle Mayor’ of Bengaluru.
