Karnataka: Cyclists fume as track dug up, Outer Ring Road bollards removed

BENGALURU: Many cyclists vented their anger on social media after a newly built track was dug up near Cubbon Park Metro Station and bollards of the pop-up lane on Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Agara were removed.
"Thank you for digging up the cycle track and not bothering to fix it," wrote Bengaluru bicycle mayor Sathya Sankaran on Twitter on Tuesday night.Following the tweet, the patch which Sankaran has posted about was fixed by civic authorities, but some more damages a few yards away are yet to be repaired.
Many cyclists joined Sankaran in voicing their frustration on social media. Nihar Thakkar, a cyclist, wrote: "This is unbelievable. We have some beautiful footpaths and cycle tracks left in this city. Please do the bare minimum and maintain them."
Tarun, a netizen, wrote: "This is the story of Bengaluru. Digging and forgetting and blaming another department."
Sankaran later said: "Neither BBMP nor Smart City Limited has any restoration contract, they are just digging up the road for wiring work as it is easier for them." He added, "Nobody knows whom to contact and what to do in case of grievances."
Rajendra Cholan, managing director of Bengaluru Smart City Limited, was unavailable for comments.
Sankaran also brought to the authorities' attention the bollards removed from ORR. Tagging various civic agencies and traffic police, he wrote: "Thank you for colluding to remove all safety for cyclists on ORR. You will pay dearly for this soon." Sources said bollards of the pop-up lane on ORR were removed due to Namma Metro work.
- Sonia Dutta