RECLAIMING STREETS: Cycling a Viable Strategy for Sustainable Transport in Developing Nations
A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport.
–Enrique Penalosa, former Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
With rising urbanization, our cities are facing one of the biggest issues of all time, the rising pollution in the air. This rise in the level of air pollutants is making it hard for people to breathe thereby causing critical health problems. The major cause for this debacle is the increasing number of automobiles on the streets. A viable solution for this problem is a paradigm shift to sustainable transport systems. Our cities need modern mobility solutions and the bicycle proves time and again that it can offer the most sensible, feasible, and affordable results. The Indian capital itself records three million cycle journeys every day — almost as many as car trips. Surveys show more people are walking and cycling on Indian roads but it is the minority of motorized vehicle users who call the shots. It is estimated that in urban areas around 50% of the trips are for less than 5km distance and 80% are less than 10km which are easily cyclable provided a good cycling infrastructure.
Plenty of research shows the social, economic, environmental, and health benefits of urban cycling. Potential users are restricted from cycling mainly due to the lack of safety and infrastructure in the cities for cyclists. This paper analyzes the potentials, benefits, and challenges of integrating cycling-specific infrastructure in the busy urban areas of developing nations and learning from case studies of relevant cycling-friendly cities. This paper will make a case for how rethinking cycling and reclaiming the streets can help revitalize our urban areas. A change in attitude is not going to come overnight, but dedicated lanes are needed for that shift to begin.
