Mumbai: Cycling groups from Mumbai, who were planning to ride from Churchgate to Mantralaya on March 15 evening as a silent protest to draw attention to unsafe road conditions for bicycle riders and pedestrians, have been given a notice by the police, prohibiting the gathering.
As per the notice issued by Azad Maidan police station, the protest will be a violation of the Bombay High Court orders and Maharashtra government notifications that prohibit gatherings in south Mumbai, including Mantralaya, University of Mumbai, Vidhan Bhavan, and other areas.
The cyclists have been asked to submit another application for permission to gather at Azad Maidan where there is a designated area for such gatherings, said the notice sent by Nitin Tadakhe. The letter added that those violating the prohibition orders will be prosecuted.
A few hundred cyclists were planning to gather on March 15. After the notice, cyclists said that as policy makers are not going to meet them, a gathering at Azad Maidan would be pointless. An alternate plan to get their grievances heard is being worked out, said the groups.
The city’s distressed cycling community has been gathering for memorials since the death of avid cyclist Avtar Saini, former head of Intel India, in an accident on February 28 at Palm Beach Road. The Mantralaya gathering was aimed at getting the attention of the traffic police and the municipal corporation to unsafe road conditions like motorised vehicles violating traffic rules and poorly-maintained and unplanned roads that can be deadly for pedestrians and cyclists. They also want the state ministry to ensure that all local administrative bodies create bike-friendly infrastructure.
Chetan Shah, the president of Mumbai Cycling Enthusiasts, a group that has nearly 29,000 members, in a message to the cycling community, said that when he went to the Marine Drive police station to seek permissions for the ride to Mantralaya, he was told that protests are allowed only at Azad Maidan. “They said we may hand over suggestions and demands to them during the protest and they will send it to various departments,” said Shah.
