SAJJAD HOSSAIN

Shakil Hossain, a private job holder residing in the capital’s Mohammadpur area, expressed his frustration regarding his commute to Farmgate on his bicycle, as he is forced to ride outside the dedicated lane.

Despite the introduction of Dhaka North City Corporation’s dedicated bicycle lane on Manik Mia Avenue over three years ago, Shakil has to ride his bicycle outside of it.

While acknowledging the positive intention behind this initiative, Shakil raised concerns about its effectiveness.

“The designated bicycle lanes are frequently occupied by vendors, motorbikes, government officials’ parked cars, and buses waiting to pick up passengers. For the bicycle lane to serve its purpose, it must be kept completely clear of such obstructions,” he said.

Over a year since the inauguration of DNCC’s dedicated bicycle lanes, cyclists said it failed to serve their intended purpose.

During a recent visit to Manik Mia Avenue, it was found that the lane, marked with green and white cycle icons, was occupied by over 30 makeshift street vendor carts. At some portions of the road, the markings were faded.

Buses of private organisations frequently utilise the lane for employee pick-up and drop-off. Government-owned vehicles are also seen parked there. The cycle lane near Rajdhani High School was barricaded by the traffic police.

Shahed Al Masud, deputy commissioner of Tejgaon zone’s traffic department, said although markings have been made on the lane, there are no specific instructions or guidelines to ensure its active usage for cycling.

“We use the bicycle lane as a parking space because it is not feasible to allocate enough space inside the parliament building. We do not have enough human resources to ensure this as well,” said Shahed.

Illegal parking not only affects the Manik Mia Avenue road but also extends to Agargaon, where a separate cycle lane is similarly blocked.

DNCC’s negligence has resulted in several spots along the lane being obstructed by garbage and sand. Three locations near the MP hostel road were found blocked by garbage, impeding cyclists’ movement, while four spots were obstructed by sand.

In October 2019, the capital’s first dedicated cycle lane was inaugurated in Agargaon. Subsequently, DNCC unveiled another lane on Manik Mia Avenue as part of a Tk 694 crore urban development project. However, these lanes are yet to make any meaningful impact in the city.

Hedaytul Hasan Philip, a volunteer of Hemonto Riders, said, “If the police takes a closer look at this matter and conduct a drive to prevent illegal parking, it is possible to stop parking in the cycle lane.”

“The so-called dedicated bicycle lanes in Dhaka are a sham. DNCC needs to wake up and see this menace,” said cyclist Mehedi Hasan, a regular commuter of Manik Mia Avenue.