Kolkata, Jun 25 (IANS): As people are choosing bicycles more and more as their preferred mode of transportation to avoid COVID-19 infection, Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal's largest civic body Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is gearing up to introduce dedicated cycle tracks on the city roads in the wake of the pandemic.

"We have held a meeting on the issue. Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has given the task to a Delhi-based firm to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on the matter to introduce dedicated bicycle tracks in Kolkata," KMC administrator and West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim said.

The Minister said that the DPR will be submitted to the KMDA within next six months.

"The agency will look into all the aspects on how to facilitate people in riding bicycles on various busy Kolkata roads," he said, adding that it is the most cost-effective and environment-friendly transport which will protect people from getting infected by the virus.

KMDA is the statutory planning and development authority for the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) in the state of West Bengal.

Hakim said already a 29-km long dedicated bicycle track is there in New Town-Rajarhat satellite township located on the north-eastern fringes of Kolkata.

"We are looking into the aspect of introducing similar things in Kolkata as well," he said.

Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had encouraged people to ride bicycles as one of the safest modes of transport. In a bid to adjust with the new normal situation, many people in the city have already hit the roads with bicycles, a cost-effective and environment-friendly mode of transport for daily commuters in the testing time COVID-19 crisis.