The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Union Road and Transportation and Highways secretary and the Delhi (South) Deputy Commissioner of Police over the failure of the Centre in ensuring safety of cyclists in the country.
The Commission sought reports from the authorities while acting on a petition filed by green crusader Radhakanta Tripathy of Odisha.
The petitioner alleged that noted environmental activist Sunita Narain was struck from behind by a speeding car near the AIIMS flyover in Delhi while she was cycling. She was admitted at the AIIMS with broken nose and arms.
“This proves that cyclists in Indian cities are being edged out systematically to make way for cars and other vehicles,” Radhakanta alleged. While just around 66 cyclists die annually in Serbia, in India that number is a whopping 6,696 deaths.
The World Health Organisation in its data on road safety too pointed that India is among the nations where there is no comprehensive speed laws, the petitioner contended.
The petitioner said using cycle and ensuring safety to cyclists not only help keeping environment healthy but also save fuel and keeps the cyclist healthy and not providing space for the cyclists by the road authorities and not ensuring safety to them amounts to serious violation of human rights.