MCG to survey internal roads for setting up cycle tracks

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will undertake a survey of internal roads with the aim of setting up cycle tracks across the city. A direction in this

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will undertake a survey of internal roads with the aim of setting up cycle tracks across the city. A direction in this regard was issued by MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh during the civic body’s House meeting in Sukhrali on Monday.

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At the meeting, Mahesh Dayma, MCG councillor of Ward 30, had proposed an agenda for constructing cycle tracks on the Golf Course Road (GCR) and Golf Course Extension Road (GCER). With both the stretches falling under the ambit of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority’s (GMDA) jurisdiction, MCG commissioner directed officials to conduct a survey of stretches falling within MCG’s jurisdiction where cycle tracks can be set up.

“Following the success of city’s first cycle track along Netaji Subhash Marg, we realised that such a project is a must on all civic roads, provided there is adequate space to ensure all safety measures. Hence, a direction has been sent to MCG officials to survey the municipal roads across the city and identify stretches where establishing such cycle tracks is feasible. We want to design our roads in such a manner so that along with vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians can also be catered,” said Vinay Pratap Singh. He said that the survey will be started with immediate effect.

All master roads, stretches that carry intercity traffic such as GCR, GCER, MG Road, fall within the jurisdiction of GMDA while stretches carrying intracity traffic such as sector roads and village roads are under the MCG.

GMDA has plans for constructing 650 kilometres of cycle tracks across the city, including tracks on Sohna Road, GCR and GCER in the second phase.

In the first phase, cycle tracks originating from Huda City Centre (HCC) towards nearby areas such as Subhash Chowk, Signature Towers, IFFCO Chowk, DLF Phase 1/DLF Phase 4 crossing, Kanhai traffic lights will be built by GMDA.

In this regard, GMDA has already launched a 10km cycle track between HCC and Subhash Chowk — the first cycle track in the city on October 2.

“A minimum of 30 metres of road width is required for setting up cycle tracks. Most municipal roads in Gurugram are 12-20 metres wide. It would be more feasible for the MCG to regularise speed limits on such stretches as per the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines so as to ensure safety of cyclists, and to build cycle tracks on the few internal roads which are more than 30 metres wide,” said Sarika Panda Bhatt, associate director, Nagarro, which is assisting GMDA with setting up cycle tracks on master roads across the city.

Bhatt said that as per the IRC guidelines, the speed limit on municipal roads is 30 kmph, which further reduces to 20 kmph when passing hospitals and schools.