'We too share the city roads': Hyderabad cycling community pedal for safety
The Hyderabad Cycling Revolution was organised to enable the public to understand that cyclists, too, share the city roads.
By Amrutha Kosuru Published on 27 Feb 2022 10:50 AM GMT
Hyderabad: On Sunday morning, the city roads were filled with cyclists. From Uppal in the east to Gachibowli in the west, from TSPA junction in the south to Suchitra in the north, hundreds of cyclists travelled from all directions as part of the 'Hyderabad Cycling Revolution'.
All the cyclists rendezvoused at Khairatabad and cycled to Charminar from there. The Hyderabad Cycling Revolution was organised to enable the public to understand that cyclists, too, share the city roads.
Ravi Sambari from Relief Riders Hyderabad said it felt amazing to see so many people from different professions and backgrounds participate in the event. "Never did I imagine that we could pull off such a great event on our own. It feels amazing," he said.
From doctors to teachers to students, a total of 350 people participated in the event.
Ravi explained that the event was conducted to create awareness regarding cyclists' safety on roads.
The event was an initiative of Bicycle Mayor of Hyderabad Santhana Slevan and was dedicated to fellow cyclist Nithin Agarwal who died in an accident on 30 December 2021. "We want Nithin to be the last victim," Selvan said demanding safety for cyclists on roads.
Nithin succumbed to his injures a day after he was hit by a drunk driver. "Drunk driving is still a bailable offense. The law should be made stricter so as to avoid such terrible accidents," Selvan said.
"The event is to show that cyclists, too, deserve a safe space on the roads as we also drive on the city roads," Selvan explained. He said the event aims to bring to the notice of officials various issues that cyclists face on a daily basis in Hyderabad.
He said Hyderabad must be safe for cyclists and pedestrians. "There ought to be a comprehensive cycling zone to ensure the safety of cyclists," he added.
"Metro Stations and bus stands should have designated parking for bicycles. This encourages people to use more cycles and also public transport," Selvan said. He pointed out that more cycle-renting facilities should be set up to encourage people of all age groups to cycle as frequently as possible. "Earlier, there used to be bicycle renting facilities. Post-pandemic, they have reduced. We need to bring them back," he said.
