Is Chennai friendly to women cyclists?
The Hindu
Road safety and personal security are two significant concerns for women who consider switching to cycling
On September 27, cyclist Aradana M met with a freak accident at Semmancherry on Old Mahabalipuram Road — officially, Rajiv Gandhi Salai — raising questions about the safety of cyclists on city roads.
This accident was just two days removed from a night cyclothon organised by the Greater Chennai Corporation and Chennai Smart City Limited — on September 25 — to highlight another aspect of safety — to show how safe the city was for women. It was also aimed at getting more women to take up cycling.
Aradana, as usual, was riding solo around 5 a.m. on Rajiv Gandhi Salai at around 27 kph when the front wheel of her cycle got entangled in a cable that was part of cable-laying work, throwing her rudely off the saddle.