30/11/2015 Still a long way to pedal for Chandigarh to become cycle-friendly city | The Indian Express

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Written by Vinod Kumar

Chandigarh

Updated: Nov 2, 2015, 12:25

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Home Cities Chandigarh Still a long way to pedal for Chandigarh to become cycle-friendly city

Still a long way to pedal forChandigarh to become cycle-friendly cityThe Municipal Corporation has decided to provide cycles free of cost tomove within the city. Newsline checks whether conditions in the city areconducive to cyclists

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A pit on the cycle track in Sector 45, Chandigarh. (Source: Kamleshwar Singh)

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The efforts of the Chandigarh Administration in promoting city as cyclist-friendly

seem to be bearing little fruit as the existing network of cycle track is being grossly

under-used.

The city has a cycle track of around 70 km spread across different sectors. But

cyclists prefer not to use these tracks unless forced by the cops, who are

occasionally deployed at the entry points of these tracks.

Poorly maintained tracks

A large number of tracks are poorly maintained. The administration and Municipal

Corporation are responsible for maintenance of the cycle tracks in their respective

areas.

All it takes is a visit to different sectors to find out the condition of these tracks.

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Sample this: the track in Sector 7, which is considered to be a VVIP sector, is in an

unusable condition. Tracks in sectors 19, 18, 46, 32 are among many which are

riddled with potholes, making them unsafe for cycling. A large pit on Sector 45

track poses threat to the safety of the cyclists.

Ram Terath, a driver by profession who daily commutes on cycle to his employer’s

house in Sector 19 from Kaimbwala village, says that most of the tracks are in a bad

shape. He prefers to use main roads — until and unless forced by the cops.

The tracks are not well-lit, making them unusable after sunset. At many places

these tracks have been encroached upon by roadside vendors, causing obstructions

to cyclists, thereby defeating the purpose of dedicated space for them. The tracks

are also being used for parking by autorickshaw drivers and rickshaw pullers.

Another problem is that where the cycle track ends, the cyclists have to merge with

the fast-moving traffic, whether at roundabouts or traffic lights.

Harman Sidhu, who runs Arrive Safe, an NGO on road safety, terms the tracks

unsafe as there is a road junction on every 200 to 800 metres on each track. “These

junctions make the cyclists vulnerable to accidents,” he says.

UT Chief Architect Kapil Setia says that they are working to make the tracks more

safe for cyclists.

Proposals fail to see the light of day

To promote cycling in the city, the administration mooted various proposals which

are yet to see the light of day. Last year, the administration had planned

introduction of cycle stations in various parts of the city and it was to be done by

2015. Similarly in 2013, the authorities were planning to introduce a facility to rent

bicycles from parking lots called the “park and ride” facility. The administration

was also contemplating rolling out a bicycle-sharing scheme in the city.

Stress on promoting cycling in Master Plan

Chandigarh Master Plan 2031 has laid a lot of stress on making Chandigarh a

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pedestrian- and cycle-friendly city for which several recommendations have been

made. It has been proposed to revive V-7 roads as intended for bicycles in the

master plan of Chandigarh. City’s creator Le Corbusier had given the concept of 7

Vs for the roads which is yet to be completed.

About 60 kms of cycle track network has been proposed across V-2\-3 roads. The

existing cycle tracks along V3 roads will be improved and provided with proper

integration along with the zebra crossing near intersection. A total of 11

longitudinal green belts have been earmarked which are to be developed as green

corridors both for the pedestrians and cyclists.

UT Chief Engineer S K Chadha says that all the recommendations of master plans

will be implemented in the next five years. At present, the administration is laying

a new 1.5-km cycle track from Sector 26 Grain Market roundabout to Transport

Light Point in Sector 26. He adds that the work has been allocated and will be

completed shortly.

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