The recent death of Gurugram-based cyclist Subhendu Banerjee, 50, who lost his life after being hit by a luxury car near Mahipalpur flyover, has brought back attention to the lack of safety of cyclists on the city roads. To honour Banerjee and demand for better safety and infrastructure for their community, many riders from different cycling groups of Delhi-NCR gathered on Sunday morning for a memorial service ride from Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Gurugram to Teen Murti Marg in Delhi.
“It was a sad and sober ride, but it felt good to see the large turnout. On the way, we also encountered many regular commuters on bicycles, going about their daily business. They may not have the time to spare for such an event, but they deserve safety as much as we leisure cyclists do,” said Manas Fuloria, a Gurugram-based cyclist. Citing data to highlight the gravity of the issue, Fuloria added, “The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi estimates that nearly 40% of deaths on Indian roads are of cyclists and pedestrians. In line with PM Modi’s Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) call, we must make every kilometre of every road safe, friendly and inviting for cyclists and pedestrians who don’t add to air or noise pollution, or to global warming.”
“We feel a sense of solidarity,” shared another Gurugram-based cyclist, Alok Mittal, explaining that the service ride “wasn’t a protest”, but was a collective initiative to remember the departed soul. “All of us riders have had a close brush with accidents. […]
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