The City of Nagpur (India) is working with its IUC partner Karlsruhe (Germany) to ensure that mobility remains people-oriented. Karlsruhe is applying its experience as a front-runner in public bike-sharing to support Nagpur to implement a similar programme. This includes assisting Nagpur in overcoming the common local association of bicycles with poorer demographics, and showing residents that cycling is practical when combined with local bus and metro networks, and reduces traffic congestion, benefits the environment, improves individual and public health, and even generates local and regional business opportunities.

On 6 February 2020, the Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Ltd. (NSSCDCL) organised a half-day workshop on public bicycle sharing. The workshop convened all relevant stakeholders, including representatives from the NSSCDCL, Nagpur Municipal Corporation as well the local university, alongside representatives from Karlsruhe and the IUC India team. The event served to deliberate upon the most suitable public bike sharing model for implementation in Nagpur.

The event began by inviting all partners to suggest appropriate models, taking into account Nagpur's specific context, challenges, and goals. NSSCDCL then facilitated a brainstorming session regarding not only which model would be best suited, but also how to ensure that this bicycle-sharing scheme could be integrated into the city's current public transportation system.

The event was highly productive and demonstrated once more the power of trans-national collaboration.

Header image from Karlsruhe's 2018 trip to Nagpur, courtesy of IUC India