Jamshedpur: Cycle your way to fitness in landmark Jubilee Park here, hopefully from August.

Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco is planning to launch a bicycle service on selected routes at the 200-acre Jubilee Park, making this the first such green lung in the state with such a facility for visitors.

"We will introduce bicycle rides at Jubilee Park with twin aims of encouraging people to explore the scenic beauty of Jubilee Park without polluting the surroundings and stay fit by cycling," said Jusco MD Ashish Mathur, adding they would start with 20 bicycles fitted with GPS tracking devices and Internet of Things (IoT), a system of interrelated computing devices.

"Initially, we plan to use 20 bicycles on selected routes inside the park. We will identify the routes so that morning walkers are not hindered by cyclists. Each cycle will be fitted with GPS tracker which we can note the location of the cycles and prevent them from leaving their designated areas. The rides will be chargeable with the amount deducted through smart cards," Mathur said.

Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan said the facility would be rolled out "tentatively by August".

According to a Jusco source associated with the project, routes would be identified in a manner that cyclists can ride the entire park to enter Tata Steel Zoological Park too.

"We are mulling providing cycle rides not only across Jubilee Park routes but also inside Tata Steel Zoological Park. We will issue smart cards to users and while taking cycles an amount will be deducted from their e-wallets for use of each cycle. We will monitor the use of cycles via smart cards with identity of each user to prevent their theft," said the senior official in the Jusco team.

He added that cycles hardly made any noise and did not emit fumes, making it the ideal commute for the green lung.

More than 2,000 people visit Jubilee Park every day while the number swells to 5,000 on weekends. The park gates are closed to vehicular traffic from 9pm to 6.45am.

Should cycling for fitness be introduced in more parks? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com