Ggn cops to send notices to hotels, clubs for cycle space

The Gurgaon Police will soon be sending notices to all hotels and clubs in the city to allocate space for bicycles in their premises.

This was decided during the webinar on car free day organised by World Resource Institute-India 

(WRI) on Wednesday. Gurgaon Police Commissioner Navdeep Singh Virk said that he was not aware that most luxury hotels did not allow cycles inside. “We will ask all hotels and clubs in the city to support us and allow cycles inside. Riding a bike is no longer a scale for effluence and the bike is now one of the most viable transport options in crowded cities,” said Virk. 

The car-free day as a routine has been extended to Karnal from Gurgaon. Urban Planning expert from WRI, Sarika Panda Bhatt spoke about changes from starting it in Gurgaon to moving forward into Karnal and the impact that has been observed in these cities that are lessons for others. Car-Free Day is being organised in four cities now and is continuously expanding, despite criticism and concerns regarding its impact and its role as a solution. It has caught attention of various city administrations and has become an example for the world. “The traders’ association in Karnal were worried that car free days would bring fewer people to the market and protested at first. After the first car free day, the traders realised that with lesser cars parked on roads, their shops were more visible and they said their business grew,” said Pankal Nain, SP Karnal.