Cyclists rue removal of dedicated lane on ORR

“It’s very disappointing as hundreds of cyclists rely on it every day. Now, people are forced to ride directly into oncoming traffic, risking a crash”

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Barricades marking a cycle lane on the ORR have been dismantled in Doddanekundi, angering cyclists in the city. Initiated by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and implemented by the municipal body BBMP, cyclists have not been informed why the barricades are removed nor has any signage been put up to alert the hundreds who use them daily.

“It’s very disappointing as hundreds of cyclists rely on it every day. Now, people are forced to ride directly into oncoming traffic, risking a crash,” said Nihar Thakkar, a cyclist who called out the issue on Twitter. Nihar had previously worked on a project of installing a bicycle counter over the same lane where the separators have now been removed.

“The counter records over 500 cycles only from in and around the neighbourhood of Doddanekundi each day,” he pointed towards the high usage of the lane and the need of reinstalling the barricades. “This is how the city rewards you for commuting by cycle: multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation.

Also, rip off existing cycle lanes so that more cyclists end up in the ICU,” said Shilpi Sahu, a runner and cyclist. On the other hand, Dev Singhal, a resident of the city, said the implementation of the lane was poor as it was on the right. “Most cyclists I'd come across on the road would keep only to the left. Hardly was anybody using the cycle lane,” he claimed on Nihar’s Twitter thread.

“Keeping it to the left made it highly susceptible to parked vehicles and encroachments, however, a complete lack of enforcement was the primary issue. This stretch of the lane was incredibly popular among cyclists riding north along the service road,” Nihar replied.