Pune Metro on Thursday conducted a trial run with cycles in trains between Sant Tukaram Nagar station and Fugewadi station. “Pune Metro work is going on in full swing. The Metro service will be operational for the public in the coming months. Maha Metro has taken a revolutionary step so that passengers can carry cycles in the train while traveling,” said Hemant Sonawane, spokesperson of Maha Metro, agency in-charge of Pune Metro.
“This morning, Dr Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director of Maha Metro and officials of Pune Metro traveled by Metro from Fugewadi to Sant Tukaram Nagar and vice versa took a cycle in the train. The journey starts from Fugewadi station and ends at Sant Tukaram station. On reaching the platform of Sant Tukaram station, the officers got down from the platform on bicycles via lifts and left the station. Thereafter, all the officers got on their cycles from Sant Tukaram station to APJ Abdul Kalam Garden and back to Sant Tukaram station, then returned to Fugewadi station of Metro,” Sonawane said.
Maha Metro said that it wants to emphasize on the convenience of cycling in trains for students, office workers, delivery boys, courier boys and for that matter, anyone who is doing field jobs.
Sonawane said, “Once upon a time, Pune was a city of cyclists, but due to non-availability of robust public transport over the years, the use of two-wheelers and four-wheelers increased disproportionately. This led to increased traffic congestion, pollution, cost of travel and time. Maha Metro urged people to use cycles so that Pune can go back to its glory days as the ‘City of Cycles’ again. With the use of cycles in metro trains, the issue of last-mile connectivity will be addressed, it will also integrate two modes of transport- metro and cycle. It is a kind of multimodal transport system.”
Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, Maha Metro said, “Bicycle is an eco-friendly mode of transport. Since Metro is allowing bicycles in Metro trains, it will be of great help to the commuters. Various signage and instruction boards will be put up at stations and trains for cyclists. I am sure Punekar will make full use of this facility.”
“Metro is a safe, eco-friendly and rapid transit mode of transport. It has a separate coach for women and girl students, also, all stations, platforms and coaches are equipped with CCTV surveillance which will help prevent any untoward incident at stations,” Sonawane said.
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