Cycling on verge of extinction in India
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Written By asj - 26 December, 2007
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Bangalore
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India
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The West is promoting cycling increasingly but in India many small cities like Pune and Banglore are making it extinct.
The picture below says it all.
Also check the video showing how Cambridge has maintained its culture
of cycling even in the 21st century:
Link to youtube video
Its important to remember that in all cities (including London) average
commutes are 8-12 km and cycling is the fastest mode of transport on
otherwise gridlocked roads.
Cheers,
ASJ
I think many of the Indian cities' citizens would find cycling an attractive option if facilities like these are made and safety of cyclists is ensured.
It is indeed heartening to see the simple ideas that are implemented in Cambridge and rest of UK for encouraging cycling.
Here are some more photos from Cambridge which show the relevant facilities for cycles. Some are covered in your video too.
PS: The lady with child in your video is riding on the pavement most probably due to any of the below reasons.
a. There is no pedestrian/cycle crossing from where she started
b. Since she has a baby on the tow (that is a baby carrier) she wants to be safe
c. Since she will be slower than the other cyclists, she does not want to obstruct them
It is apparently illegal to ride cycles on pavements unless there is a marked cycle lane, but I guess such victimless violations are allowed.
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-Shastri
Cycling in India is making a comeback, slowly but surely.
You can check out http://cycling.bikeszone.com to see the number of people in Bangalore who would like to make a difference over the past few years.
BikesZone and the community is trying to increase the number of people who take up cycling as a means of recreation and more importantly a means of commuting. Be it to work, meet friends, shop etc. its always easy to do it on a bicycle.
Almost whole of india is averse to cyling but I sense a wind of change.. i passed out of manipal this year and all motor vehicles have been banned in the campus.. also MIT has given cycles to each and evry student who has taken admission there.. so the revolution has started in India.. its only a matter of time before more people take to it!
U mentioned Cambridge (university town?) and oxford too (has cycling culture) but you won't find such a culture in non-university towns.. the exception is in Japan where people cycle to office because of parking problem / space constraint!
Bangalore is a huge place.. though I would love to cycle to office every day.. the size of the city dissuades me!
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