Getting Around India's Cities
Cycling in Indian Cities
Why cycling is common among poorer workers but declining, why cities lack cycle lanes, and the rise and struggles of bike-sharing schemes.
Cycling is cheap and clean.
Who cycles
Many low-income workers cycle to work because it’s affordable.
Decline
- Rising incomes push people to motorbikes.
- Unsafe roads without cycle lanes.
Cycle lanes
Few cities have connected cycle lanes; some built were encroached.
Bike sharing
- Dockless bike-sharing startups like Mobycy and Yulu launched around 2017-18.
- Many struggled with theft, vandalism and costs; Yulu shifted to electric two-wheelers for delivery riders.
Policy
The India Cycles4Change Challenge (2020) encouraged cities to improve cycling.
The factory worker
A factory worker cycles 8 km each day to save on bus fares, dodging traffic on roads without cycle lanes.
Thinking cycling is only a hobby in India
Many workers rely on it.
Key takeaways
- Many low-income workers cycle.
- Cycling is declining with rising incomes.
- Cities lack cycle lanes.
- Bike-sharing struggled.
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