Yet, these efforts have largely missed the mark, with minimal cycling adoption and most lanes left deserted, damaged, or encroached upon.
While the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a brief resurgence in cycling, prompting cities to introduce pop-up lanes under the Cycles4Change Challenge-part of the Smart Cities Mission - the shift towards sustainable cycling remains elusive.
"The reason is cycling lanes in cities have been piecemeal, often leading cyclists nowhere. Besides, building lanes alone isn't enough-safety and usability must come first. A cohesive approach with continuous lanes, safety improvements, and strict enforcement is essential for a successful cycling system in cities," says Amit Bhatt, managing director (India) at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).
Experts say that cycling lanes in Indian cities face several critical challenges: from poor design and fragmentation to constant encroachment by vendors, vehicles, and pedestrians. Safety remains a major concern too, with rampant traffic violations and inadequate separation from fast motor vehicle lanes putting cyclists at serious risk.
Shreya Gadepalli, urban mobility expert and founder, UrbanWorks Institute, stresses that cycling networks in Indian cities need a comprehensive and end-to-end approach to serve as a viable mode of transport. "For that, cities need to have compact traffic junctions where cyclists can wait safely, ahead of vehicular traffic. Besides, cities need to build a 'cycling service' rather than just infrastructure, where the focus is also on maintenance and management of cycling tracks to ensure long-term usability and safety," she says.
A Cycling History of India
Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 11, 2024-utgaven av Hindustan Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
3-year-old girl drowns while playing in a vacant waterlogged plot near Rohini: Cops
POLICE SAID THE COLONY WHERE THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IS UNAUTHORISED AND LACKS A DRAINAGE SYSTEM
BJP, AAP lock horns over slum outreach
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with an eye on the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, on Tuesday started its \"Ratri Pravas Samvaad\" (night stay dialogue) programme with the residents of slum cluster residents across the city to learn the issues plaguing them, party functionaries said.
Police checks, posters, awareness among youth: LG launches anti-drugs campaign
Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena on Tuesday announced a month-long antidrug campaign starting December 1 with the aim of making the Capital drug-free within the next three years, officials from the LG secretariat said.
NGT NOTICE TO OVERSIGHT PANEL, SEEKS STATUS OF RIDGE
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the Oversight Committee seeking a report on the protected area in Delhi's Ridge and the status of removal of encroachments from there.
Yamuna water taxi plan still in works, NGT told
DELHI GOVT TELLS GREEN COURT THAT IT IS YET TO RECEIVE AN AFFIDAVIT AND AN INDEMNITY BOND FROM CENTRAL AGENCY IWAI
Winds rescue city: Air in lower end of 'very poor'
Delhi's air quality was in the \"very poor\" category for a third straight day on Tuesday, but strong surface-level winds helped disperse pollutants, pushing the Capital's air to the verge of the \"poor\" zone by late in the night.
BJP SAYS IT WILL 'CORNER GOVT ON AIR POLLUTION' IN WINTER SESSION
Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said they will raise issues of public interest in the upcoming winter session of the Delhi assembly.
Atishi: Centre manipulating electoral rolls ahead of polls
Chief minister Atishi on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of \"misusing government machinery\" to \"remove a large number of voters from the electoral rolls\" ahead of the upcoming Delhi assembly elections.
Hemant Soren meets Kejriwal, invites him to oath ceremony
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday hosted Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader and Jharkhand chief minister-designate Hemant Soren, who invited the former Delhi CM to attend his swearing-in ceremony.
Kejriwal: AAP stands strong despite attempts to silence it
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said that the AAP has \"reshaped Indian politics\" through its model of governance, adding that the party stands strong despite the \"political obituaries\" written every six months.