A cycle rally will be organised by the Chennai Corporation on Sunday, in collaboration with the the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and Tamil Nadu Cycling Club, to promote non-motorised transport.
The rally will begin at Island Grounds at 7 a.m. and go on till Madhya Kailash. It is open to the general public who can join in with their own bicycles. This was announced at a workshop on Friday. The objective of the workshop is to bring together all the groups in the city, working to improve infrastructure and services for pedestrians and cyclists.
Mayor Saidai Duraisamy said the State government would ensure the streets are safe. At the workshop, Vikram Kapur, Corporation commissioner, expressed his concerns about the growing number of accidents in the city and the unsafe walking and cycling conditions.
Caroline Samponaro, senior director of campaigns and organising at Transportation Alternatives, a New York-based NGO, presented facts about streets of New York. She said streets and sidewalks comprise 80 per cent of public space in New York.
“Building dedicated bus lanes, cycle tracks and footpaths is the greatest thing any Corporation can do. And if you build it, people will use it,” she said.
Chennai Corporation’s engineers, NGOs, architects, disability rights groups and the traffic police took part in the workshop.
