Hyderabad: Hyderabad's cycle track project, which was designed to encourage biking, has failed to enthuse people to opt for healthier mode of commute because of low public awareness about the tracks.
Though the city needs a complete network of bicycle lanes, many of the current bike lane sections are hard to see, putting cyclists at risk. Improving visibility and connecting these lanes better is important for keeping cyclists safe and making the cycling system work well.
Santhana Selvan, the Bicycle Mayor of Hyderabad, told the Deccan Chronicle, “One of the biggest issues is that many cycle tracks are blocked by vendors and parked vehicles.”
Cycling is getting harder in the city as too many accidents are reported on the cycle tracks, making parents worried about letting their children take the cycle to college.
In Toli Chowki, cycle tracks are blocked by vendors selling construction materials, while the tracks in KBR Park are being used as parking zones.
Sneha Trivedi, a content strategist and a mother of a four-year-old kid, said: “Safety is utmost important when you want people to use cycling tracks. The biggest fear of letting my daughter use the track is the speeding cars which race on the city roads. I have seen several accidents on cycling tracks. Hyderabad roads are not safe. Speeding Merc and Audi are everywhere.”
In 2024, there were 15 accidents involving cyclists on the cycle track on the service road. Key areas with cycle tracks include Hitech City, NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park, Necklace Road, KBR Park, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Shamshabad, Gachibowli, and the Nehru Outer Ring Road.
“Safer roads need dedicated cycling tracks without being blocked. The riskiest areas are inner city roads where cycle tracks are blocked, (Mehdipatnam Road and the route from Chandanagar to Panjagutta on the Inner Ring Road). Other Indian cities like Bengaluru, Ludhiana, and Chennai, are better for cyclists than Hyderabad,” said Ravi Sambari, co-founder of Hyderabad Cycling Revolution.
To prevent accidents, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) will soon install crash barriers along the cycle track from Nanakramguda to TGPA and from Narsingi to Kollur.
However an official from HMDA said: “It's common knowledge not to drive fast on highways or any roads, yet people do it making it difficult for drivers to maintain control, leading to accidents on the cycle track.”
Sources say that the Multi-Modern Integration (MMI) project, which was started near the Ameerpet metro station to facilitate easier commuting is also not functioning properly.
