SUM Net strongly condemns the decision by Urban Development Minister of Uttar Pradesh to dismantle cycle tracks in different cities. Urban Development Minister Suresh Khanna gave this statement for the first time in a meeting organized in Bareilly. Thereafter, on July 4th, the minister reiterated his decision when questions were asked by journalists in Lucknow in this context. He said, “Yes, we are removing the cycle tracks because few local people in Bareilly have complained that the tracks interrupt the smooth flow of traffic. So, we have agreed to remove the cycle tracks.”
It was learnt that no surveys were conducted before the decision to remove the cycle tracks was arrived at. It is important to note that the previous government in Uttar Pradesh had introduced cycling lanes in order to reduce pollution and to promote non-motorized transport. This scheme covered the satellite areas and the cities of Kanpur, Lucknow, Noida and Bareilly.
SUM Net condemns such a decision by the UP government as it goes against the National Urban Transport Policy. It also contradicts the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Paris Carbon Emission Summit.
SUM Net demands that this decision must be rolled back by the government and instead efforts should be made to revamp them and extend their network. A full copy of the Press Release in Hindi can be downloaded here.