A cyclist on road despite cycle track in Sector 23, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. (Photo by Sahil Walia)
Eight cyclists – seven men and one woman – were killed in road accidents in Chandigarh in the last 10 months. Four cyclists were killed in the southern division, three in east division and one in central division. Cyclist Rameshwar Dass of Sector 47, a retired Chandigarh Transport Undertaking employee, was run over by a speeding PRTC bus at the dividing road of Sector 31/47 on Monday. Dass was cycling on the main road despite the availability of a cycle track.
A traffic police officer said, “Records maintained by the road accident analysis wing of traffic police suggest that all these cyclists were killed while pedalling on the main road despite the fact that in some cases, cycle tracks were available nearby. One of the cyclists was killed near the Sector 54/55/41/40 roundabout and the woman cyclist was run over by a speeding car near the Vikas Nagar/Mauli Jagran light point.”
DIG (UT) Alok Kumar said, “We are urging cyclists to use cycle tracks. A special squad of traffic police was constituted to identify the places where cycle tracks can be constructed and to identify the cycle tracks, which are in damaged condition. Traffic police, along with the road engineering department, is busy making all the roundabouts cycle friendly.”
Faqir Paswan of Panchkula was killed near the Housing Board light point on January 20. Bhoti Devi was killed at the Vikas Nagar/Mauli Jagran light point on May 1. Avilash Parsad was killed at the Sector 54/55/41/40 roundabout on May 5. Ganga Ram of Ramdarbar was killed between the Sector 29 roundabout and the Poultry Farm light point on May 23. He was cycling on the main road instead of using the cycle track. Sudhir was killed in an accident near Sector 39 on July 27.