There are no bicycle lanes on roads in Bangalore. The accident cases of bicycle riders, as per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, have risen from 3,559 in 2017 to 3,673 in 2018.
According to Amit.K, a resident and cycle rider, “Nowadays, I cannot ride a bicycle on roads as there is no space due to the traffic. So there should be separate lanes for bicycles in the city”.
According to Suresh.S, a retired worker, “20 years back, I used to ride bicycle on roads very easily and there wasn’t the issue of safety or traffic as well. But today I cannot ride a bicycle due to traffic and lack of space”.
According to S Somashekara, Chief Engineer, BBMP, “Due to narrow roads and narrow footpaths in most parts of the city, bicycle lanes cannot be constructed. We have started the construction of bicycle lanes in some regions where there are wider roads like Cubbon Road”.
The Urban Transport Department of Karnataka says that bicycle lanes should be planned and made along the sidewalks/footpaths.
According to Dr V Ramesh, an Urban Planner, “In Bangalore, most roads are narrow. So, it is extremely difficult to build bicycle lanes. But if road widening is done and proper policies are made, then bicycle lanes can be constructed”.
The Urban Planner also says awareness about bicycle lanes is another way to deal with the construction of bicycle lanes.
