VMC cycling its way to check accidents

VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, which has bagged the EuroIndia’s Environmental Sustainable City award at Brussels recently has decided to restrict vehicular emission on the city roads by encouraging the use of bicycles by laying separate path along the busy Bandar and Eluru roads in the city. The corporation has already started marking the roads with bicycle symbols along Bandar and Eluru roads and it is expected to be completed in a week.Cyclists will have a separate path.Speaking to Express, municipal commissioner G Ravibabu said as Bandar road and Eluru road were wide enough they had decided to construct separate tracks along the roads for the safety and convenience of cyclists.He said one fourth of road-users use bicycles in the city and most of the cyclists are schoolchildern.The municipal corporation in association with Active Bicyclists Association, a non-profit organisation, will launch an awareness programme to encourage people to use cycles.The city police has also been co-operating with the municipal corporation in marking separate paths as it helps the city police to clear traffic congestion.Ravibabu said the laying of separate path will ensure free flow of traffic.Assistant commissioner of police (traffic) AV Ramana said separate tracks for vehicles depending upon their speed will help check the accident rate.