Delineators will be installed on bicycle lanes on ‘smart roads’ in the city to prevent other vehicles from parking on them, official sources said.
This comes in the wake of the impending launch on Saturday of the first lot of 360 shared bicycles that will be based at 60 terminals across the city, as part of a joint initiative of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) to launch 1,000 shared bicycles.
It will be tried out first on Abraham Madamakkal Road. There were widespread complaints from cycling enthusiasts that even heavy vehicles were being parked on the lanes, despite their discernible green colour and markings. Many motorists park vehicles on road shoulders, footpaths, and cycle tracks, even though there are pay-and-park facilities in the vicinity. The under-utilised parking space owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) at Marine Drive ground is a case in point, they added.
CSML has readied a pair of cycle lanes on either side of the stretch from Rajendra Maidan to Queen’s Walkway on Chatiath Road, as part of the initiative to promote non-motorised transport. Furthermore, the agency is readying a scale-up plan, to have more such dedicated lanes on other arterial roads. A list of priority roads is being readied, it is learnt.
Accidents
That the city is not quite safe for bicycle riders can be gauged from an accident that occurred a week ago in Thripunithura, when a boy was run over by a lorry after he fell off his cycle on an ill-maintained stretch beside the road.
“Lack of earmarked lanes for bicyclists is a major hurdle that we face,” said Legi Philip Pothen, a former Air Force officer, who often moves around on a bicycle in his neighbourhood. “Unauthorised and haphazard parking by cars and other vehicles is yet another problem, including on service roads of the NH Bypass,” he added.
Regaining space
KMRL Managing Director Alkesh Kumar Sharma and his wife are among those who cover long distances on bicycles at dawn. “The pandemic and the ensuing increased health consciousness have led to a huge demand for cycles. This manifold increase in their number has in turn led to a marked change in the way motorists view cyclists. Back in 2019 when I arrived in Kochi, motorists used to honk to prompt cyclists to give way. Now, it is the other way round, and they give way to us, including at junctions. After all, roads are meant for pedestrians and cyclists too. They must reclaim this right. Although not mandatory, helmet is being seen as a safety requirement by cyclists,” he said.
On the impending shared cycle venture, Mr. Sharma said they would come in handy for people who seek last-mile connectivity. “That there are 60 terminals where they can be stationed is an added attraction, since they are available every 500 metres. We must take cue from cities like Barcelona, Bogota, Medallin, and even Pune, where cycling is accorded the pride of place. After all, the average speed of vehicles in Kochi is around 20 kmph during peak hours, and it is easier to bicycle to a destination than rely on car or scooter. It is also a sustainable way of living / transport. Ultimately, Kochi must become like Singapore or European cities where pedestrian is the king,” he added.
