PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Dehradun’s cycle tracks, built to provide cyclists with a safer alternative to busy city roads, are increasingly being reduced to parking spaces, vending spaces and garbage dumping spots, leaving cyclists to negotiate traffic alongside other vehicles.
At several stretches, poor maintenance, encroachments and obstructions have made the tracks difficult to use. Damaged surfaces, gravel, overgrown grass and parked vehicles have forced cyclists to either get off their bicycles or move onto the main carriageway, defeating the purpose of the dedicated infrastructure.
Outside Bannu School, a portion of the cycle track has been occupied by parked vehicles, while another stretch ahead is covered with gravel. Vendors have also occupied parts of the tracks at several locations, while garbage accumulation has been reported on some stretches, particularly during the evening.
“I often have to leave the cycle track and ride on the main road because the track is blocked by vehicles or vendors. That defeats the whole purpose of having a separate track for cyclists,” said Rajat Kumar who regularly cycles in the city.
Another cyclist Mohan Kumar said that the poor condition of the tracks is discouraging people from using them. “If the track is maintained and kept free of parking and encroachments, more people would be willing to cycle. At present, you cannot depend on the track for a safe and uninterrupted ride,” the cyclist said.
The situation is similar along Rajpur Road and Race Course where portions of the cycle track are covered with grass, while some stretches have effectively been occupied by food stalls. The lack of regular maintenance and action against encroachments has further reduced the usability of the tracks.
According to PWD officials, cycle tracks are currently present along Rajpur Road/Old Rajpur road, Race Course, Sahastradhara Road, Canal Road, the IT Park-Sahastradhara stretch, Maldevta Road, Raipur Road and the Rispana-Jogiwala side. PWD s
uperintending engineer (Civil) Ompal Singh said that repairs are undertaken wherever complaints are received. He added that orders for construction of cycle tracks are issued by the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) and no fresh order for constructing additional tracks has been received so far.
The limited coverage and deteriorating condition of existing tracks have raised questions over the effectiveness of Dehradun’s cycling infrastructure. Instead of offering a continuous and safe network, several stretches remain obstructed or unusable, leaving cyclists with little option but to share congested roads with other vehicles.
Dehradun municipal commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said that the condition of the cycle tracks would be reviewed after the monsoon. He said that encroachments from the tracks would also be removed.
