Cycle tracks okay, where is the will to implement rules?

Ramkrishan Upadhyay  

 Tribune News Service   

Chandigarh,  December  17   

Crores of rupees spent on constructing new cycle track seems to have gone down the drain in the absence of effective implementation of bylaws formulated by the Chandigarh Administration. In order to control and put restrictions on the plying of cycles, rickshaws and loaded rehris on major roads in the city, the administration formulated the bylaws two years ago and given the responsibility for their implementation to the Municipal Corporation and the traffic police, who have failed to implement them on ground. 

Besides regulating their registration and issuing licences, it was also made mandatory that rickshaws should follow the traffic rules. The police and the MC have been given the power to impound rickshaws found violating the rules. These have been debarred from running with the main traffic and allowed to ply on the designated cycle tracks only.

Fees to get impounded rickshaws released have also been fixed. The violators are to be charged Rs 300 for the first offence, Rs 400 for the second and Rs 500 for the third offence. 

The administration is constructing the  cycles  tracks along all major  roads, Janmarg,  Madhay Marg, Udhyog Path, Dakshin Marg and Vigyan Path. 

Mukesh Anand, Special Secretary-cum-Chief Engineer of the administration, said they would construct  90 km of cycle track by the next year, of which 24-km track had been constructed so far. He said besides constructing new cycle tracks, they were also upgrading the existing ones whenever required. 

Money down the drain: NGO

Harman Sidhu, founder of the  ArriveSafe organisation, said in the absence  of effective implementation  of the  bylaws, crores  of rupees spent on the construction of these  cycle  tracks was going  down the drain. He said the condition of a few cycle  tracks was also not  good. He asked what was the use of constructing the cycle tracks when those were not put to good use?