COIMBATORE: The initiative by Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to create an exclusive bicycle lane on DB Road in RS Puram has evoked mixed responses from road users. While cyclists welcomed it, many flayed the civic body for shrinking the carriageway on the busy stretch.
The civic body recently partitioned a portion of the road by installing pole barriers for at least half a kilometre on the stretch to create an inclusive bicycle track.
Balasubramanian, a regular bicycle user, complained that bikes, autorickshaws and cars make do with the lane to park their vehicles. No vehicles must be allowed to use the bicycle lane, he said.
A postwoman, on the condition of anonymity, said, "We need an exclusive bicycle track on busy roads. Riding along the DB Road earlier was difficult as many vehicles whizz past us closely. Now, we can ride without hassle."
However, the initiative did not go well with a section of people. CA Jaganathan, an autorickshaw driver, said the lane led to a traffic bottleneck along the stretch. "I would have lauded the civic body if it had created a separate lane or freeway for ambulances to run without hassle. How many people own a bicycle today and why do they need such a bigger space to ride?" he questioned.
Another road user who did not wish to be named said the design of the footpath on DB road was satisfying for its wide space and components like benches, placement of bins, etc. However, instead of completely copying street designs of foreign countries, adopting local structures might yield better results, he opined.
Now, many pole barriers aka delineators are reportedly damaged by motorists driving criss-cross from bicycle track to the carriageway.
Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC) secretary K Kathirmathiyon said, "Many friends travelling on the DB road shared their ordeals after the civic body partitioned a portion of it for the bicycle track. The corporation is only concerned about beautification but least bothered about the repercussions of the projects."
Noting that nearly 1.10 lakh vehicles got registered in three regional transport offices (RTOs) in the Coimbatore district, he questioned, "If a four-feet road is earmarked for bicycle movement, where will the motor vehicles run?"
A higher official in the city corporation said the initiative was probably rolled out on a trial basis under the model road project of Smart City Mission. The civic body would check with the Smart City Mission officials to know whether the initiative was taken on a trial basis or as a permanent measure, he said.