KOCHI: The demand for cycle tracks on city roads has been raised by Pedal Force, a cycling group, time and again. As a part of their aim to promote cycling as an alternate mode of transportation and make the city pollution free, the group had submitted various proposals to the state government. Their efforts bore fruit when a proposal to construct cycle lanes on 11 major roads was sanctioned under the Smart City project. The provisions for cycle track was made along the sides of the roads. However, the group alleges that it is unscientific.
To attract the attention of authorities against this, Pedal Force organised a ride from Vyttila to Edappally.
"Why the fringes of the road and not the medians. Demarcating the sides of the roads as cycle tracks is unscientific and futile. Why can't the PWD or RBDCK think of converting the medians into cycle tracks?" asks Joby Kandanad, founder, Pedal Force.
According to him, the medians already have the required width needed for a cycle track. "Why leave that much space for weeds to grow? The authorities can't blame it on the unavailability of land since the land is already right there on the road," he said.
"In all the new road projects, even those in the highways, cycle tracks have been positioned along the sides. Many of the North Indian states have already tried that and failed. This is because people park their vehicles on the sides," he said.
According to him, the Vyttila-Edappally Bypass, which has a median that is three to five metres wide, can be taken up as a pilot project. "We organised a ride to highlight the need for such a median. The authorities don't have to do much. All they have to do is restructure the median to facilitate cycling, which is good for health and helps in curbing pollution," he said.
"It is a green way of life. It helps reduce weight . Since there is no emission, it helps in reducing the greenhouse gases, which in turn will go a long way in saving the planet. It is the responsibility of the government to promote such a green means of transportation. Pedal Force has been vouching for the creation of cycle lanes on all the roads in the cities of the state," he said.
Pedal Force had also conducted a signature collection drive seeking construction of cycle ramps on the road. The signatures were submitted to the District Collector along with the petition.