On one hand, the State government is going all out to encourage cycling to work. On the other, chaotic roads and rash drivers makes it nearly impossible to cycle around safety – a sad fact that was demonstrated by the death of 38-year-old Menaka Gulvady, who was knocked down by a cab on the international airport Road on March 24. She used to cycle a distance of nearly 25 km every day to her office at the airport.
With the cycle day programmes seeing some amount of success, V. Manjula, Commissioner, Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) – which organizes the ‘open street’ days, said the next step would be to ensure cycling infrastructure that can translate to better safety. Dedicated cycle tracks were planned in HSR Layout, Madiwala, Sanjaynagar, Jayanagar and Yelahanka. “These will be segregated from the main roads, and will ensure that cyclists have space to move around,” she said.
Unlike the ‘educational’ project in Jayanagar, where just markings were done on the roads – which were soon encroached by parked vehicles and hawkers, these lanes will be barricaded to prevent encroachment by motorists.
However, Mayank Rungte, an avid cyclist, believes this may not enhance safety on the city’s roads, particularly on expressways and major roads where motorists drive at high speeds. “The city has been built for vehicles and the infrastructure is for cars and motorbikes. Unless public transport is strengthened so that cars are reduced, safety of cyclists cannot be ensured,” he said.
(REPORTING BY MOHIT M. RAO)
