As the IT crowd makes a comeback to offices after two years, resulting in an increase in traffic, residents in areas around Outer Ring Road (ORR) are facing a number of problems, including traffic jams and driving on footpaths. However, in the last couple of weeks, hundreds of bollards placed to demarcate the cycling lane are being removed. While due to ongoing work, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) workers have removed bollards on a particular stretch, the reasons for the disappearance of other bollards remain unknown.
Cyclists and some residents say that the ‘private vehicles lobby’ might be the reason why bollards are being removed. “There is a perception that road infrastructure is only for private vehicles. A few weeks ago, there was an unfortunate two-wheeler accident on the ORR and without any evidence, the lobbyists started blaming the cycle lane bollards. In the last few days, we have noticed that there has been too much traffic on the road and just like that, one fine day, bollards were removed altogether,” said Mukund, a local resident.
On a particular 500m-stretch near Haralur Junction, all the bollards which were used to separate the cycling lane, had disappeared overnight, says Shilpi Sahu, a cyclist. “With traffic increasing, private vehicle owners have lost patience and now see cycle lanes as a nuisance. They think that taking over this one meter of space will help them reach places faster, but it has only had a counter effect. While sometimes bollards would be on and off on some stretches, this time it is a whitewash.”
