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With the district administration leaving no stone unturned in reviving bicycle as a mode of transport, intensified drive by the police against underaged youth has been paying rich dividends.
Shedding their love for two-wheelers, the teenagers are hopping on to bicycles, if not that, buses from home to school/ college, vice-versa.
Sources told Deccan Herald, the police have been intercepting underaged two-wheelers below 18 years, in front of the educational institutions. It’s a surprise drive which has till date covered nearly five colleges- Marimallappa’s, Sadvidya, JSS among two others. In such cases, the parents of the offender students are imposed hefty fine for letting wards violate law.
The drive has had a ripple-effect with parents advising their children to return to bicycles.
Principal of Sadvidya PU college K S Prabhakar Rao told Deccan Herald, following the drive a circular had been issued advising the students to adhere to the traffic rules. They had also been advised to switch over to bicycles instead of mopeds or motorbikes.
Heeding to the advise, the students have been indeed pedalling to college.
Two-wheelers dwindle
It’s evident with bicycles in the parking lot within the precincts of the institute, against swelling number of two-wheelers earlier. When it became too difficult to accommodate vehicles, the lane in front of the college too had been earmarked for two-wheeler parking.
To enable students, sorry bicycle pedalling one’s to make it to school and college with ease, the police have suggested the district administration to create a dedicated lane to educational institutions.
Experimental basis
To begin with, it has been decided to experiment on a stretch of two km starting from Kautilya circle near Crawford Hall up to Sayyaji Rao road (Banumaiah’s college).
The left side of the road will be having a dedicated track separated by median and blinkers to facilitate them.
The reason behind identifying the particular stretch for pilot programmes is- the good number of schools and colleges in the vicinity. If the idea clicks, soon it will be extended to other roads.
Besides, dedicated signals for the benefit of cyclists and to caution motors, will be installed in the coming days.