To promote a clean city environment, healthy lifestyle and sustainable urban habitat, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) would henceforth make mandatory for all housing projects to adopt sustainable transport infrastructure and promote the non-motorised transport (NMT) system.
Not a single housing project would get approval if it fails to provide the required infrastructure and commitment for promoting NMT, especially Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS), in building and plot level.
It has been decided by the BDA’s Building Plan Committee that provision for dedicated cycle tracks should be the integral part of housing planning.
All future housing projects and the ones which are currently waiting for approval must have to provide enough infrastructures for implementing the NMT system.
According to Regulation 52 of BDA (Planning and Building Standards) Regulations, 2018, in order to promote and develop a sustainable urban transport infrastructure, the BDA, with prior approval of the State Government, may specify guidelines for prescribing standards of street design, setting up and operationalisation of Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) programme, infrastructure at plot/project level to promote non-motorised transport and public transport, street improvement programme, etc.
Notably, the BDA has a provision for sustainable urban transport at project level (building/land development).
According to BDA Vice-Chairman Prem Chandra Chaudhary, “Our purpose is to inculcate the passion for cycling among children and school students by providing them adequate and safe infrastructures in the area they live as the millennials have almost forgotten cycling as a mode of transport. Therefore, all housing units in Bhubaneswar should give the highest priority to public transport, walking and non-motorised vehicles including cycle tracks that are accessible to almost everyone and have low impacts in polluting environment.”
Notably, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) have already asked their employees, including outsourced staffs, to shun vehicles and come to office once in a week, preferably on Friday, by bicycles or by walking in order to promote clean and pollution-free environment.