Bangalore: The much-touted Jayanagar Bicycle Project and the painted tracks in the tony area have been lying neglected just six months after it was launched. The tracks have now provided a perfect parking zone for four-wheelers of apartment dwellers and autorickshaws.
Murali from Ride a Cycle Foundation, who proposed the idea, told Deccan Chronicle that vehicle parking on cycle lanes is rampant because enforcement is lackadaisical.
Funded and executed by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP), the project, which cost '2.5 crore, was inaugurated last September. Murali said, “A couple of times, we tried to solve the problem of vehicle parking on these tracks.
We wanted to meet the BBMP commissioner, but as the state assembly elections were round the corner, the issue got fizzled out. Soon after the election, there was no mayor for a long time and the BBMP officials were busy solving the garbage problem.
We again did not get a chance to attract the attention of the authorities.” He said, “We wanted infrastructure to promote cycling in the city and now we have it. But there is no one to guard it. The traffic police should enforce the law and give the lanes back to cyclists.”
A senior officer from the traffic police department said, “It is almost impossible to get rid of vehicles from cycle lanes. We have also not passed any regulation asking our policemen to enforce it.”
Murali said difficulty in enforcing the law is not a good enough reason for not enforcing it.
“One cannot let murders take place because enforcement of law is difficult. We cannot, however, say that the money spent on the project was not useful. Fifty junctions were improved and around Rs 1.5 crore went into improving footpaths.”
In Jayanagar, there were many who were not aware of cycle lanes. Ahmed, a 46-year-old autorickshaw driver, who had parked his vehicle near Swagath Garuda Mall, said, “Who says this is a cycling track?
I have been working in this locality for the last seven years. This area has been marked for vehicles to park.”
Mahesh, a security guard at Usha Apartments, said, “There is no space for parking vehicles inside the apartment and many residents park them on the road.”
