Chandigarh: Broken lighting, illegal parking, and street vendors have turned the city’s sprawling 200-km bicycle network built at great public expense into a safety hazard.Mounting encroachments and maintenance lapses reflected in damaged kerbs have turned the track into an obstacle course for cyclists.City cyclist Ramnik Singh said: “The tracks are meant to provide cyclists with a safe, uninterrupted passage, but when vehicles, vendors, and other obstructions take over, we are forced to negotiate our way around them or move onto the main road, in the direct parth of fast traffic.”.Chandigarh began planning its extensive bicycle-track network in the early 2000s. In Dec 2002, the UT administration announced plans for almost 167 km of tracks along major V2 and V3 roads. Expansion gathered pace in 2017, followed by another 99 km approved for construction in Nov 2018.The network has since surpassed 200 km. While substantial public funds went into the infrastructure, residents note the primary challenge is maintaining accessibility and safety.Parking and Vending CongestionAlong Shanti Path, unauthorised vending, roadside storage of building materials, improper parking, and horticulture waste dumping have restricted movement. Damaged kerbs further compound the issue.Parking congestion is prevalent near Apni Mandi and the day market in Sector 43A on Jan Marg, Dhanas on Dakshin Marg, Sector 34B near Sarovar Path and V5 Road, and V4 roads in sectors 29, 40, and 46.“Poor parking management creates congestion and leaves little room for cyclists and pedestrians. Enforcement cannot be limited to occasional drives; it has to be regular,” said Rakesh Sharma of Sector 45.The positioning of certain vending sites has also drawn scrutiny for interfering with bicycle tracks, footpaths, green spaces, slip roads, and parking zones. Critical areas include slip roads at Junction 45 in Sector 38D and Junction 33 on Dakshin Marg in Sector 35A.Dark stretches and damaged infrastructureNon-functional streetlights have left tracks along Sukhna Path, Himalaya Marg, and Maloya poorly lit, with missing or broken fittings prolonging outages.“A poorly lit cycle track becomes difficult to use after dark. Regular inspections and timely replacement of damaged fittings are essential,” said Manisha Jha, a cycling enthusiast from Sector 40.Damaged streetlight poles near the Grain Market on Chandi Path in Sector 26 require structural repairs and protective measures to withstand vehicle impacts.Authorities face mounting pressure to clear obstructions and repair damaged tracks as commuters struggle with daily hazards.A UT official defended the upkeep, stating: “The administration regularly maintains the tracks. Issues involving other departments, including the police, engineering department, estate office and Chandigarh Housing Board, are taken up in a coordinated manner.”
