Leh (Ladakh) [India], September 20 (ANI): As a part of the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations to commemorate the 75 years of the country's independence, Ladakh's Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) organised a cycling competition for road safety awareness on Sunday.

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, R K Mathur presided as the chief guest for the event named 'Ride for Road Safety and Wear Helmet.'A total of 50 bikers and 200 cyclists participated in three different cycling competitions, which were flagged off from Nawang Dorjey Stobdan Stadium in Leh. The finishing point was at Spituk Pharka.

"Road safety is a very important issue. It is the responsibility of every citizen to implement safety protocols," said Tundup Namgail, a participant.

The event was organised in collaboration with the Cycling Association Ladakh and some private firms including Maruti Suzuki Driving School, Togo Hyundai, Mentokling Mahindra, Force Motors, Neyshatok SML Isuzu, Foton PMI and Royal Enfield.

At the finishing spot in Spituk, LG Mathur felicitated the winners and distributed prizes and certificates to the winners and runner-ups of the three different categories.

Addressing the event, the Lieutenant Governor appreciated the Motor Vehicle Department for taking the initiative of organizing the cycling event.

He expressed hope that the participants, majorly comprising of young children will become ambassadors of road safety and requested them to spread awareness about its importance amongst their friends and families.

Reiterating the importance of suitable roads and related infrastructure for safe conveyance, LG Mathur urged the road project implementation agencies like PWD Ladakh, CPWD, NHIDCL, BRO etc for the construction of roads that meet all safety parameters and also highlighted the need for improvement of existing roads. Deputy Chairman, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, Tsering Angchuk, shared that the onus of adhering to road safety and traffic rules falls on all the citizens. He expressed gratitude to the Motor Vehicle Department and the sponsors for organising the event highlighting road safety importance. (ANI)