Mind that gap! Cyclists warn against drain grill design

Photographs indicate BMC's modification of a grill cover near Kemps Corner where cyclist Premal Vashani met with an accident isn't enough to avoid mishaps

- Ashutosh M Shukla

Cyclists are not satisfied with the perfunctory modification of the drain grill near Kemps Corner where an avid cyclist Premal Vashani met with an accident on May 1. The wheel of Vashani’s bicycle got stuck in the grill, resulting in a serious fall and injuries to his face.

As reported by the Free Press Journal, the drain grills have been set in the flow of the traffic, making it easy for narrow wheels of professional carbon-bodied bicycles to get stuck in them. The BMC had claimed fixing the grill by welding a strip to narrow the gap at the accident spot but cyclists demonstrated through photos how it’s still wide enough to cause accidents.