Open Roads

Inspired by a Colombian event, Gurgaon has started a new street festival called ‘Raahgiri’.

Inspired by an event called ‘Ciclovia’ that started in 1976 in Bogota, Colombia, Gurgaon has started a new street festival called ‘Raahgiri’ during which streets will be open exclusively to runners, cyclists, skaters and other fitness junkies. The initiative is a joint effort by the Gurgaon Municipal Corporation, police and residents, and is aimed at promoting the use of non-motorised transport to solve the city’s growing traffic woes. To begin with, one street in the city will be kept free of traffic every Sunday for a minimum of six hours. The city administration has identified a few streets that will follow this schedule, and residents are being encouraged to use these non-traffic streets for recreational and community activities. The first ‘Raahgiri’ day was celebrated on 17 November, when the busy street along Galleria Market was cordoned off for the festival. The idea also seems to have found takers in Bangalore. A visiting team of officials from Bangalore is considering starting a similar event for the tech city soon.