BLOG: It's time to bring the green machine back

Delhi, one of the most populous cities in India, has a major problem of transport. Cross-section of people live in the city, and commuting is an essential element to earn the livelihood. The basic services to the city’s population is being provided by the working class who are responsible for water, sanitation, housekeeping, construction etc. The major forms of transport include metro, buses, taxis, private cars, pedestrians and the 200-year-old green machine – the bicycle.

According to an estimate, there are more than four million bicycles in the city, and a good number of people use it as a mode of transport. The old fashioned black bicycle with spouse on the carrier and child on the front was a common feature in the 1980s, though hardly seen now.

Today, if one looks around during the day, the bikes are hardly seen as a mode of transport. So where have all these cycles and cyclists gone? Because of the fear and scary nature of Delhi’s urban transport (the guzzlers and the SUVs), the cyclists move in early hours from 6 to 8 in the morning. This is the time when they flock together and move towards their destinations.


Photo credit: Shutterstock

But the question to ponder is that why this successful mode of transport is under threat in a mega city like Delhi? While, the western countries, especially Europe, are building the infrastructure and the consciousness for enhancing bicycle as a mode of transport, India seems to be lagging behind. Why are the working people scared to use bicycle, (which probably is the cheapest mode of transport) on the roads?

The alarming scenario of accidents on Indian roads is probably the first reason for dissuading the cyclists. In India, at least 16 people die every minute due to road accidents. Two wheelers account for 25% of the total road crash deaths. According to the Transport Research Wing (TRW) of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, in five years (2011-15), 25435 cyclists have been killed on Indian roads. The worst cities where the largest bicycle riders’ fatalities have taken place are Delhi, Chennai, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kanpur. Moreover, Delhi is the worst placed city for the cyclists.

The figures are quite revealing about the fate of the cyclists on the roads. Still a large section uses it for they have no other means to supplement the mode. What the city governments or the parastatal running the department of mobility must ensure is:-

1. Proper infrastructure for the cyclists. In Delhi, it is believed that the total length of the roads is about 28000 km. the arterial roads are 1200 km and collector roads about 3600 km. A proper plan has to be put in place by engaging the stakeholders. The mobility plan designed should keep into track the entire mobility of the city.

2. Proper design of the tracks: the design should be such that the cyclist enjoys riding on it. The tracks should have ample light during the night. Otherwise, the bicycle will once again be seen on the roads thus, allowing the tracks to be occupied for some other purpose.

3. Appointing Bicycle officers: the city should mention in the plan the requirements and the appointment of bicycle officers for the city. The conventional method of enforcing mobility by either the transport officials or the Delhi police is too outdated. Neither do they have the capacity to comprehend bicycle as a mode of transport and the importance for enforcement nor they are interested in the paradigm shift that is required. Hence, a new team has to be developed around the bicycle officers.
  
4. Building a people’s movement: just the infrastructure will not help. Bicycle officers may work but without the participation of the people reclaiming what has been theirs; the model will not succeed. It is a question of commons which has to be reclaimed back as has been done by the people, and the city government of Barcelona. Ciclovia is another movement of the cyclists and the pedestrians in Latin America to reclaim the commons.

Tikender Panwar is the ex-Deputy Mayor of Shimla

ICLEI WORLD SECRETARIAT
Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 7
53113 Bonn
Germany
T: +49-228/97 62 99-00
F.+49-228/97 62 99-01 Email: iclei.org
EUROPE
European Secretariat
Leopoldring 3
79098 Freiburg, Germany
www.iclei-europe.org
Brussels Office
Av. de Tervuren 35
1040 Bruxelles
Belgium
Berlin Office
St. Oberholz ROS Team Room 4.02 Rosenthaler Str. 72a 10119 Berlin, Germany
AFRICA SECRETARIAT
Physical address:
3 Knowledge Park
Century City
Cape Town
8001
South Africa
Postal address:
PO Box 5319
Tygervalley
7536
South Africa
www.iclei.org/africa
NORTH AMERICA
Canada Office
401 Richmond St. W
Studio 204
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3A8, Canada
www.iclei.org/canada
USA Office
536 Wynkoop St.
Suite 901
Denver, Colorado
USA 80202
www.icleiusa.org
MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Mexico, Central American and Caribbean Secretariat
Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 13 Building Miguel Abed, Floor 5 Office 506 and 507, Col. Centro, CP 06050 Del. Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Mexico
www.iclei.org.mx
Colombia Office
Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá Carrera 53 N° 40A - 31 Medellín, Antioquia – Colombia
ICLEI Argentina
Boulevard Gálvez, 1150 Planta Alta. Santa Fe, Argentina
SOUTH AMERICA
South America Secretariat Brazil Project Office
Rua Ibiraçu, 226, Vila Madalena
São Paulo / SP - Brazil
CEP 05451-040
www.iclei.org.mx
SOUTH ASIA
South Asia Secretariat
Ground Floor, NSIC-STP Complex NSIC Bhawan, Okhla Industrial Estate New Delhi – 110020, India
southasia.iclei.org
EAST ASIA
East Asia Secretariat
14/F, Seoul Global Center Building, 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (110-110)
eastasia.iclei.org
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Southeast Asia Secretariat
c/o The Manila Observatory Ateneo de Manila University Campus Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1101 Manila, Philippines
seas.iclei.org
ICLEI Indonesia Project Office
Rasuna Office Park III WO. 06-09 Komplek Rasuna Epicentrum Jl. Taman Rasuna Selatan, Kuningan DKI Jakarta, 12960, Indonesia
OCEANIA
Oceania Secretariat
Level 1, 200 Little Collins Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
icleioceania.org
Advocacy
Training
Consultancy
Research
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form