Spanner in the works: Cyclists making main thoroughfares accident-prone

Kolkata: Cycling on main thoroughfares by flouting ban imposed by the city police is posing a serious threat to drivers, thereby putting a stumbling block on the smooth implementation of the Safe Drive Save Life campaign.

Though there has been no report of any cyclist falling victim to road accidents in recent times, senior police officers said that there may be major accidents at important road intersections as cyclists have a tendency to flout traffic rules.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched the state-wide Safe Drive Save Life campaign, with an aim to bring down the number of road accidents. Both Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police have taken up several "Safe Drive Save Life" programmes, following direction of the Chief Minister. At the same time, steps have been taken for prosecuting those violating traffic norms.

"But the entire effort of bringing down the number of road accidents would receive a major blow, if a major accident takes place in the city due to cycling on the roads where it is banned," said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

He further added that there is a need to take immediate steps to check cycling on the 62 roads where it has been banned by the Kolkata Police by issuing a notification as per the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Names of the roads and the timing during which there will be restrictions on cycling were mentioned in the notification, after stating that the order to restrict plying of vehicles including cycle van, hand cart, pull cart and bicycle, was given to provide "safe and uninterrupted movement of vehicular traffic".

There are as many as 174 roads where there is restriction on plying of cycle vans, hand carts and pull carts for a particular time in a day. Similarly, there are 62 roads and bridges where there is restriction on cycling.

There is restriction from 7 am to 11 pm on roads including Ashutosh Road, Rani Rashmoni Avenue, Chittaranjan Avenue, Rash Behari Connector, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Chowringhee Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road. There is restriction on cycling for 24 hours on thoroughfares and flyovers including Camac Street, Red Road, Government Place West, Old Court House Street, BBD Bag East, BBD Bag North, Lock Gate Flyover, Chingrighata Flyover, Park Street Flyover, Gariahat Flyover, Sealdah Flyover and Brabourne Road Flyover.