Who is responsible for cyclist Vijay’s accident?

HSR resident gets badly hurt in a road mishap

By MANASI PARESH KUMAR

Vijay Kundaji didn’t really figure in my list of friends, though we met at regular intervals during Citizens for Bengaluru meetings. He seemed reticent and a man of few words who liked a comfortable corner — unlike me.

But when we began work on the Beku Beda Santhe, I realised his shy nature was a sham. He turned into a one-man army, whose stoic confidence was what kept most of us calm during the run-up to the event. Murphy’s Law would not meet a more determined adversary. Our shared moments over absolute disasters and accomplishment also saw us become friends.

A week later, he is badly injured in a road accident, and in a semi-conscious state. On Sunday morning, Vijay was out on his bicycle near his residence at HSR Layout, when he was hit by a two-wheeler. The impact was so harsh, he is said to have crashed against a concrete pillar that holds up the flyover. His head trauma was so severe, the doctors first thought it futile to even operate on him. For those of us waiting outside the operation theatre, the irony of the situation made it even more unpalatable.

An engineer-cum-consultant, who gave up a lucrative career outside of India, Vijay was a vociferous supporter of public transport and non-motorised mobility in cities. He had written extensively on the subject. He was someone who believed in practising what he preached — he always used buses to commute; cycle was the next preferred mode for him.

Those working on Urban Mobility in Bengaluru argue that the only way to reduce traffic congestion in the city is to de-incentivise the use of private motor vehicles and encourage integrated public transport and non-motorised mobility or cycling.

But as Vijay’s case clearly elucidates, what about safety? The inverted pyramid of mobility in Bengaluru has meant that pedestrians and non-motorised vehicle users figure last in the scheme of things. Most infrastructure projects prioritise motor vehicle movement which explains road-widening ventures that eat into footpaths.

Should we be responsible moving around the city with a constant risk to life and limb or use private transport irresponsibly to choke up the city?

In a city, where eight people on two wheelers lost their lives in a month to pot holes, cyclists face the dual risk of hostile motorists driving along beside them and a decaying infrastructure.

There are many lessons to be learnt about road sense. In his tragedy, Vijay would want us to learn from it.

© Oorvani Foundation/Open Media Initiative. Also available online at citizenmatters.in