Natasha Tuli, who was done in by the poor quality bollards on the new cycling track at Carter Road, alleges that several walkers and runners have also fallen prey to them
Natasha is a cyclist and runner who has over the last 5 years, participated in several athletic events One week after their installation, the orange bollards have already turned into a hazard
ADVERTISEMENT
They just don’t learn, do they? Despite the failure of a cycling track at BKC, the BMC initiated an experiment on Carter Road to disastrous results — the track is being used for parking, and the inferior quality of the bollards has tripped up joggers, and hurt a marathoner particularly hard.
Natasha’s fractured arm
Installed only a week ago, the orange bollards are part of the experiment carried out at the behest of Bandra’s H-West corporator, Asif Zakaria. But, built from an inferior quality of plastic and nails, these bollards that were erected to study the project feasibility have instead turned hazardous for joggers and cyclists instead.
State of the bollard
Marathoner trips
Such was the case of 33-year-old Natasha Tuli, who had been preparing for the upcoming Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon for the last one year, but has now injured her elbow after tripping on one of the damaged bollard’s nails. “The doctor has barred me from any kind of heavy movement for three weeks, as my elbow could get displaced and might need surgery if I do any kind of running or cycling. I can’t even move,” said Tuli, who in the last five years has won several medals in cycling and has run in over 20 marathons across the globe. She is also the cousin of actor Kumar Gaurav.
Furious over the mismanagement by the BMC, Tuli says she is now going to file a PIL against the BMC and the state government soon. “Experiment at the cost of this? All my time and energy has been wasted because of this. Moreover, why did they install it now when the elections are coming? The authorities must really think we are fools,” she said.
Not a one-off incident
The Carter road area, which used to be a jogger-friendly area, has lately been a hotbed of construction work these days, making cycling and jogging difficult. Brinston Miranda, who runs the ‘Be Fit’ Academy, told mid-day, “This has happened in BKC’s tracks as well. Look at the tracks, how can you cycle in such a small space. It is less than 3 feet, how can even two cyclists be there? It’s impossible. My joggers, because of this bollard track, where vehicles are parked, and the promenade area where construction work is going on, have to jog on the road only.”
Passing the buck
Zakaria, though took credit for the experiment, absolved himself of any responsibility for the debacle. “It was a really good initiative and we did think that the parking would be an issue, but as I said, it was in the experiment phase, as we got permission from the traffic department for a month only. It’s extremely unfortunate that Natasha had to go through this, and if people are so badly affected, I’ll make sure that the BMC takes action as quickly as possible,” but subtly adding, “Though the idea was mine, it was implemented by the BMC, so if there is a failure, they should be held accountable.”
Meanwhile, when mid-day contacted Sharad Ughade, the BMC ward officer, he said, “This is just a trial. What has happened with the joggers is unfortunate. We will soon take corrective measures. Now, when the permanent track is made, the people will be consulted first.”
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
