Chandigarh, June 4 -- Despite its reputation as a cycling-friendly city, Chandigarh sees at least 10 cyclists deaths on an average, police data shows. The city's cycle tracks run up to nearly 240 kilometres but it has little to boast of. Road safety experts say tracks run into unsafe intersections, lack proper maintenance and are often encroached upon by motorists or vendors. Concerns over cyclist safety gained steam in October 2023, when closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of a dentist being hit by an autorickshaw near Matka Chowk went viral. In all, the city has recorded 68 cyclists' fatalities in the last seven years, including the first five months of 2026. Experts say cyclists compound the risks by not wearing protective headgea. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP, road safety) Lakshay Pandey said a cycle squad has also been formed to ensure their safety, while dangerous driving challans are issued to other vehicles using the cycle track. Professor Umesh Sharma of Punjab Engineering College (PEC), who specialises in road safety, said cycle tracks need to be made as per Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards for the safety of cyclists while motorised vehicles shouldn't be allowed on them. Road safety activist Harpreet Singh added, "Authorities need to do something infrastructure-wise where cycle tracks meet the main roads, to ensure that cyclists enter traffic safely and responsibly." Vice-president of Cyclegiri cycling group, Akshit Passi said, "Cycle tracks should remain for the cyclists. In some parts of the city like Sector 41, the cycle track is used as parking by the residents. In places like Panjab University (PU) South Campus road, the cycle track is used as a shortcut by motorists who don't want to take a u-turn later."...