Raahgiri pioneer Gurgaon still waits for cycle tracks

July 15, 2014

TNN

 

GURGAON: The city that pioneered the Raahgiri Day movement that has now been embraced by Delhi is getting a raw deal from the administration, which had promised to deliver dedicated cycling tracks for the event a couple of weeks ago but is yet to start work on the ground.Having exported the Raahgiri concept to other cities, like the Colombian city of Bogota had done with Ciclovia, Gurgaon now has a responsibility to convert it into a cycling-friendly city, a model that the rest of the country can follow.But the delay in making cycle tracks has left residents and Raahgiri participants feeling cheated. Expressing his disappointment, Karan Sachdeva, a resident of DLF Phase V who moved here from The Netherlands last year, said, “When I moved to the city, I used to miss cycling. Raahgiri brought some hope. I also bought a world-class bike, keeping in mind that initiative of Raahgiri will lead to the construction of a cycle track. But Gurgaon doesn’t seem likely to have viable infrastructure for cycling any time soon.”

Namrata, a regular participant in Raahgiri Day events every Sunday since it began in Gugraon last November, says she has bought a bicycle after 24 years. “Raahgiri Day has helped Gurgaonites come together and fight for a cause. However, authorities are not serious enough to make cycle tracks in the city.”

The private organizers of the event said they were helpless as they had done everything they could at their end. “We have sent a detailed plan to the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon’s office. We have been trying hard to follow it up with the MCG to initiate the construction of cycle tracks. However, we have not got any response yet,” said Sarika Panda of EMBARQ.

MCG commissioner Praveen Kumar, who wasn’t present at the event this Sunday, told TOI, “We have received the design and cost plan from the organizers. We are almost done with the cost analysis. The design has also been finalized. I think construction will soon start.” Kumar also said some changes had been made in the design of the proposed cycle tracks. “Following the suggestion of commissioner of police, we have now decided to draw a white strip to bifurcate the cycle track and the main road,” he said.

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