Several cycling groups on Thursday demanded that the authorities allow cycling in a network of interconnected roads so people can commute from one end of the city to another using the environment-friendly mode of transport.
Allowing cycling on one road and not allowing it on the next will not help a cyclist, said the groups, which sent letters to several political parties on Tuesday and Wednesday stating their demands.
They also demanded that all roads connecting the fringes to the city — such as BT Road, EM Bypass and VIP Road — have separate cycling lanes.
A similar demand for roads within the city has also been put forward.
“We want the authorities to create a network of roads across the city where cycling will be allowed. If someone wants to go to Shyambazar from Gariahat, he or she should be able to go. There is no point in allowing cycling on one road and restricting it on others,” said Satanjib Gupta, the bicycle mayor of Calcutta, an honorary title given by BYCS, a Netherlands-based organisation that promotes cycling across the globe.
One cannot pedal from one end of the city to another because cycling, though allowed in lanes and bylanes, is banned on arterial roads.
Gupta said Calcutta police had in 2008 banned cycling on several arterial roads. Those spotted cycling on the thoroughfares are liable to be fined.
The police had temporarily stopped imposing fine on cyclists during the lockdown last year because many people had no option but to pedal to work and back home in the absence of public transport. The cops have since resumed slapping fines on cyclists spotted on arterial roads.
“We want the police to lift the ban and allow cycling on (arterial) roads. To do this, they must create infrastructure safe for cyclists,” said Gupta.
Bhargab Maitra, a transportation specialist, echoed the idea of a network of roads where cycling can be allowed. “There should be a city-wide network of bicycle tracks so that a person is able to reach any place within the city. This should be similar to the kind of road network that is available for motorised transport,” said Maitra, a professor of civil engineering at IIT Kharagpur.
The cycling groups have together sent a letter listing their demands to various political parties.
The demands include setting up of cycle stands near all railway stations in the state and near all Metro railway stations in Calcutta.
“We have to promote the use of public transport and cut down the use of cars. Calcutta has very little road space and it is also a city with very poor air quality. We have to promote sustainable transport,” said a cyclist.
Since a lot of people from the fringes come to the city on cycles, the groups demanded that dedicated cycle lanes be set up on roads like EM Bypass, BT Road and VIP Road.
“A lot of poor people come to work in the city from the fringes. They prefer cycling and there should be separate lanes for them on roads like EM Bypass and BT Road,” said Gupta.
