Campaign Partner: : Chirag Shah (Bicycle Mayor of Thane)

To cycle or not to cycle? The answer to this question depends mostly on how safe you feel to cycle in a city jam-packed with car traffic and other overspeeding vehicles. Increasingly, cycle riders in Mumbai have been finding themselves in extremely dangerous situations. 

Last week Rajesh Pai was hit by an overspeeding motorcyclist just 2 kilometers away from joining a cyclothon. Last month, a lab technician lost his life due to a rash-driving four-wheeler. 

Join us in urging MMR Municipal Corporations to:

1. Create dedicated cycling lanes:

Riding in dedicated and marked cycling lanes will allow cyclists to feel safe and secure during their commute. For livelihood cyclists such as Zomato and Swiggy delivery persons as well as Mumbai’s dabbawalas, who are a lifeline of the city, cycling in the traffic has “affected their efficiency” and has been “a cause of concern.” In fact, a startling 89 percent of dabbawalas have expressed the need for dedicated cycle lanes in the city. 

2. Construct safe parking structures: 

Cycle-inclusive infrastructures like parking slots are not only a huge convenience for cyclists but also encourage non-cyclists to opt for cycling. This is because good cycling infrastructure is a signal that cyclists are cared for and respected. 

3. And, immediately implement rules against rash driving: 

Traffic rules such as IPC 279 clearly state that rash driving is against the law. Yet, its loose implementation continually puts cyclists' lives at risk. The demand for a safer bicycle commute can only be met by the implementation of strict rules against motorcyclists and other large vehicles.