Saiyami Kher Advocates for Safer Cycling Streets in Mumbai

Renowned actress and cyclist Saiyami Kher has drawn attention to the problem of cyclists’ safety in Mumbai as they are currently faced by a new infrastructure development movement in the city. Indicating the new risks for cycling caused by the lack of space due to the construction of metro tracks, flyovers, and coastal roads, Saiyami underlines the way in which cyclists began to perceive themselves as characters of a video game where their speed is the key to success to avoid a collision.

Protecting Mumbai's Cyclists: Urgent Measures Needed

The city of Mumbai has not seen a reduction in cases of hitting cyclists by speedy cars, and the cyclists corps keeps growing every day. That is why it is high time the measures to protect cyclists were undertaken. She claims, "The more you stare at the ground, the more you realize that not just Mumbai, but the entire city is digging itself up, leaving it in an ever-increasingly unsafe state of chaos!" The wave of recent events with cyclists either being hit and injured or even losing their life on the ethnic streets brought the safety of cyclists into question.

The plight of those, who literally risk death if they go out to exercise and run on the streets or ride a bike for their daily exercise, becomes an urgent matter to look in. It is heartbreaking to see how interconnecting pedestrian routes and wide bike lanes will work and change in order to make the unfortunate lives of less affluent people safer, instead of having them live in fear every day when trying to go for a run.

One might wonder why I'd prefer running indoors, in spite of being doing marathons for more than a decade, actually, I'm really accustomed to these discomforts, and on top of that the air quality in our city has become so horrible, that is why running inside the gym feels more comfortable. I don't know what else I can do apart from putting small trees as a citizen. I want the town to be enjoyable for jogging and cycling, for being physically fit. I am hoping that our city become a fitness-friendly city.

As a seasoned cyclist who openly speaks about the utility of bike gears, Saiyami Kher also highlights the importance of safety equipment and being careful when cycling. She advises all cyclists that safety should always be a priority. 

She also stresses extensively that apart from lamp posts and additional safety measures, i.e. the creation of bike lanes, there is a need to do more to prevent such tragedies and accidents to be a regular occurrence in the foreseeable future. As herself, Saiyami Kher has urged the authorities to make top of the priority list of the city administration of setting up special infrastructure for safe cycling, for cycling enthusiasts like her in Mumbai.

 Therefore, she demands that governing bodies establish dedicated cycle lanes which ensures the safety of cyclists, moreover because of the recognition and promotion of cycling as something that stands on a par with the other sustainable modes of transport.

Like Mumbai, urban planning will also have to consider cycling as part of the planning effort which will lead to a consistent riding environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and users of public transport systems.

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