Cycle ban in Mussoorie's Mall Road to be lifted

Mussoorie: Following wails of protest from local residents' groups and numerous other organisations, Dehradun district authorities have finally decided to lift the month-long ban on cycling in and around Mussoorie's much-loved Mall Road.

Chief minister Harish Rawat is believed to have directed district magistrate (DM) Ravinath Raman to revoke the blanket ban on cycles after he held a meeting with Dehradun-based social organisation Making a Difference by Being the Difference (MAD).

Abhijay Negi, one of the members of the group, said, “The CM called DM Raman while the meeting was still in progress and asked him to lift the ban on cycling. This is indeed a welcome step. This ban was regressive. At a time when people have voiced their concern about vehicular emission and pollution, cycling should in fact be encouraged.”

Sub-divisional magistrate Jitender Singh, "in consultation with the local police and the municipal council", had put the ban in place, triggering widespread condemnation and ridicule. The SDM’s decision came at a time when cycling at the Mall, both by tourists and local residents, was gaining popularity. Seeing the trend, a number of operators had begun offering cycles on rent. Kumar, however, had then said "cycles were creating nuisance" for one and all.

Jatin Kapoor, co-founder of Alternate Atlas, and Gurpreet Singh — both students from Mussoorie — had started an online petition on change.org against the ban. TOI had first reported about the prohibition on June 17, following which several organisations criticised the administration’s decision. It was also reported that Raman had briefly explored the idea of constructing a cycling lane. But given the chaotic traffic at Mall Road, this was not explored further.

The municipal corporation, in the meantime, has proposed to increase the entry fee of vehicles at Mall Road from the current Rs 150 to Rs 500 in an attempt to regulate traffic.