Free reflective tapes for 1.3 lakh cyclists

A total 1.3 lakh cyclists have been provided with free retro-reflective tapes in the national capital till now in a bid to ensure their safety, a statement said Sunday.

The campaign by the Delhi Police, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as well the International Road Federation (IRF) aims to target 10 lakh cyclists in the current financial year ending March, 2015.

"The campaign to fix reflective tapes on bicycles free of cost, for easy spotting of cyclists by drivers of other vehicles at night, is likely to be taken to other major cities including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Kochi," said K.K. Kapila, IRF chairman.

"Installation of retro-reflective tapes on bicycles will help make them a safer mode of transportation as they can be spotted from a distance of at least 100 metres at night and even in foggy conditions," added Kapila.

As per the IRF, white tape is put on the front of the cycle, red on the rear mud guard and yellow on the seat and front fork.

Citing 2012 data, the IRF said that some 114 cyclists died in road mishaps in Delhi while at the national level, the number of cyclists killed in accidents stood at over 6,600.