But is it safe to cycle here?

The city has designated cycle lanes on only a few roads like Vikas Marg, Nizamuddin Bridge and Bhagwan Das Road but there is no uninterrupted network of cycle lanes, resulting in cyclists dangerously entering vehicle lanes, reports Manoj Sharma.

Is it a good idea to be pedaling on the Capital’s ‘killer’ roads?

HT Image

SN Shrivastava, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), says, “Cycles are not banned in the city.” Yet, the use of cycles has been constantly declining in the city, and according to an estimate, cycles constitutes only four per cent of the total vehicular population here.

“In the ’70s, cycles made up 60 per cent of the traffic. Unfortunately, use of bicycles has never been promoted as a policy. There are very few designated lanes for cyclists in the city,” said Nalin Sinha, Programme Director, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).

The city has designated cycle lanes on only a few roads like Vikas Marg, Nizamuddin Bridge and Bhagwan Das Road but there is no uninterrupted network of cycle lanes, resulting in cyclists dangerously entering vehicle lanes. No wonder, then, about 140 cyclists die in Delhi every year.