Swerving Around Chaos On Delhi’s Cycle Tracks – The Times of India

New Delhi: Cyclists swerving off designated tracks onto busy roads to avoid parked cars and three wheelers, garbage heaps, leisure spots, even shops and stalls; bollards standing askew, causing the cyclists to lose balance; cycle lane markings disappearing after a few hundred metres — while Delhi govt and other civic authorities strive to promote the use of non-motorised transport in the city, the tracks created to cater to cyclists tell a despairing story.
To gauge how effective Delhi’s cycle tracks are, TOI ventured along the remnants of the old BRT corridor on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg and Josip Broz Tito Marg from Ambedkar Nagar to the Moolchand flyover. Mukesh was cycling to Mehrauli for work. He was on the road rather than the cycle track. His expression a mix of resignation and humour, he said, “Yeh hatwa kaun sakta hai? Aadat ho gayi hai. Sab badiya hai (Who can remove this? We’ve got used to it and everything is fine).”
A few metres ahead, another cyclist shrugged and captured the essence of the daily commuter: “Jahaan jagah milegi, wahan chalenge (We’ll use whatever space we find).”
The acquiescence of Mukesh and other cyclists is understandable given the state of the cycle track there. At the Ambedkar Nagar T-point, the track has crumbled, forcing cyclists to jostle for space on the main road. “This is the condition for the last month,” said an autorickshaw driver. “Of course, these people have to ride on the road.”
In any case, the dedicated track — meant to facilitate a safe, eco-friendly commute — has become everyone’s space except theirs. At some spots, it is smooth and inviting until parked buses and street vendors illegally reclaim the space. A kilometre from there, decorative pieces marking the entry to the track slant into the passage, putting riders off-balance, almost pushing them into puddles of stagnant water.
“It’s simple,” another weary cyclist repeated. “Ride where space is available. The rule of the road here isn’t about right of way — it’s about finding a way to squeeze through.” Daily-wage workers, students and officegoers fend for themselves on this unsuitable road, riddled with encroachments and poor upkeep.
From 2021 to March this year, there were around 450 accidents involving cyclists in the city, of which 185 (41%) were fatal, resulting in 186 deaths. The BRT stretch is proof of the hazards cyclists have to face on the streets of Delhi.
S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head, Traffic Engineering and Safety Division at CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, said, “As far as I remember, the full length of the cycle track was 5.8km and it was a proper corridor before the demolition of the BRT system in 2011-2013. Unfortunately, now traffic forces cyclists to hop between the track and the road — an unsuitable and impractical situation.”
He pointed out that encroachment was a major impediment and the civic authority must be held accountable as the custodian of the road. “Restoring and maintaining cycle tracks is not difficult,” he said. “Accountability has to be established. In certain places, the guard at the track entrance allows motorists also to pass through.”
Vivek Chattopadhyay, principal programme manager (clean air and sustainable mobility), Centre for Science and Environment, explained that BRT was a multiple-objective project. Despite only a small section being initially operated, thus limiting public understanding of the corridor’s potential, the system notably prioritised cyclists and pedestrians with dedicated spaces and planned crossing facilities, thus encouraging sustainable transport. He emphasised that expanding road space for cars wasn’t a solution, showing statistics that said cars and two-wheelers constituted only 20% of road users, with 75-80% relying on buses, cycles or walking.
With the BRT system’s discontinuation and reversion to standard roads, the dedicated paths for pedestrians and cyclists have been neglected. “Govt’s inability to preserve the improved road design elements is evident,” said Chattopadhyay. “Similar deterioration affected the cycling and walking infrastructure created for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Throughout Delhi, footpaths are unusable, cyclists face safety risks and children’s cycling activities are curtailed. This situation prevents Delhi from developing into a truly people-friendly city.”
A PWD official said, “The upkeep of cycle tracks is our responsibility and if deficiencies have been observed at some spots, they need to be inspected. However, encroachment by vendors or illegally parked cars need the intervention of other agencies. We have written to them about these.”
As for illegal parking on cycle tracks, traffic officers agreed that this fell in their ambit. “The stretch that you are discussing will be checked,” one officer told TOI. “Other encroachments have to be handled by other authorities.”