Three verticals will be listed by the escorts.

NOIDA: Although Ruma Chattopadhyay’s accident on the Greater Noida Expressway has prompted concerns about commuter safety, Noida officials assert that her life might have been saved if they had known that cyclists were using the speedway as a training ground for cross-country competitions. The authorities of the cycling training camp allegedly did not ask for any licenses from the city authority. When we receive such a request, the traffic police are informed, and an escort is provided with the group for safety. Medical arrangements for emergencies are also put into place. “Officials in charge of the camp should have informed us in writing and made an application requesting the use of the expressway for cycling,” said Sanjay Chauhan, city magistrate, Noida. For the safety of competitors, Chauhan said, “We cordon off the expressway for holding sports trials. We did this in Commonwealth Games 2010 when the expressway was used as a racing track for the event. At that time, the expressway was out-of-bounds for other vehicles.” However, representatives of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) claimed that they had never felt the need for police escorts when practicing. “How many police escorts are you going to provide? The only time we sought permission from the authorities was during the Commonwealth Games when international cyclists were here and we were given a dedicated lane for training,” said VN Si. “While training both seniors and juniors are out cycling together. The seniors travel till about 100km while juniors do about half the distance. In that also there are group of cyclists, some going really fast while others pedal slowly.