VIJAYAWADA: At a time when the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is contemplating introduction of urban mobility (bicycle sharing) in the city on the lines of Hamburg, Germany, several residents have expressed doubts over emulating the concept here and questioned the officials concerned whether the city is cyclist-friendly.
In 2016, the civic body recarpeted several roads across the city for Krishna Pushkaralu and lanes on major roads like Mahatma Gandhi Road, Eluru Road and BRTS Road were ‘marked off’ with the recurring image of a cyclist painted in white colour, calling attention to the fact that it was a lane for cyclists.
However, a reality check of the cycling lanes in the city revealed a sorry picture as the white paint on the asphalt had vanished and the lane had become a convenient place for parking vehicles. “If civic body officials are committed to introducing bicycle sharing in the city, they should ensure the safety of bicyclists and designate spots for parking the bicycles,” said V Sambasiva Rao, a bicycle enthusiast.
VMC officials should make basement parking mandate for all shopping malls in order to prevent parking in the lanes allotted to cyclists, he added.
Speaking to TNIE, Taxpayers Association Secretary MV Anjaneyulu said that vehicular traffic had increased in the city and pedestrians and cyclists were in danger as they had to commute on congested roads, amidst cars and two-wheelers. “Due to a lack of separate lanes for bicyclists, they have become vulnerable to accidents. At present, the city has several wide roads, and a small portion of the roads need to craved out for a dedicated cycling track,” he said.