BANGALORE: Runners and joggers in Malleswaram and Sadashivnagar are up in arms against the Sankey Tank Walkers’ Association, which, on Tuesday, had put up boards banning jogging and running on the track in the park around the tank.
With over 150 runners signing a petition to end the ban and approaching the BBMP, association members have now promised to review the issue.
“We have been running around the tank for over 12 years and it is not right to stop us now. Moreover, why was no one asked? There are over 850 members in the Association and we think at least 40 per cent of them are joggers,” said S Bhadresh, who is spearheading the campaign against the ban.
According to Kini, the treasurer of the Association, the decision to ban running was taken after complaints about joggers crashing into walkers. “There were too many complaints and one senior woman even suffered knee injuries after allegedly being pushed,” he said.
“This may have been a one-off incident. There are etiquettes that both runners and walkers should follow and this is what the board should have had, not a ban on runners or joggers,” observes Sapthagirish, another avid runner. “The track is wide enough to accommodate both runners and walkers. But there are those who walk in groups and block the entire track. How is that okay?”, he asked .
“It is possible for both walkers and runners to coexist. If there were complaints, the Association could have talked to us or put up boards explaining running and walking etiquettes. Who are they to stop us from running without taking BBMP’s permission?” points out Bhadresh.
The Association members now claim that this was only a temporary move. “It was done to pacify some walkers and at our next meeting, we will take up the issue again and have a favourable decision,” said Kini.