In an ironic twist, a bicycle docking station in Vinayaka Nagar, West Mysuru — part of the Trin-Trin public bicycle-sharing project — has been repurposed by locals to tether cattle, revealing a blatant neglect of green urban infrastructure.
Launched in 2016 by then CM Siddaramaiah, Trin-Trin was India’s first public bicycle-sharing initiative, aimed at reducing vehicular emissions and encouraging non-motorised commuting. While the project initially saw great traction with thousands of memberships, the current misuse of infrastructure paints a very different picture.
RTI activist B.N. Nagendra called the situation “a reflection of poor local oversight,” warning that this symbolic green project is fading into irrelevance.
According to MCC Deputy Commissioner K.J. Sindhu, operations were outsourced to a private agency and the project later expanded to include battery-operated bicycles. These can now be parked at home temporarily, unlike earlier when they had to be docked after each use. MCC officials promised an inspection of the defunct docking site and acknowledged possible lapses in oversight.
Trin-Trin Project Coordinator Chethana added that there are currently 48 docking stations and about 360 e-bikes in operation. However, the transformation of a docking station into a cattle pen underscores a growing disconnect between planning and ground reality.
MCC has assured the public that it will investigate and act to restore proper use of public resources.
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