By Sophiya Mathew
Protecting cyclists on Delhi roads by coming up with continuous networks and safe crossings could deliver rapid climate and public health benefits, according to a study conducted by researchers from IIT Delhi and the University of Chicago.
Published in Nature Cities on Tuesday, the study titled ‘The status and politics of bicycling in the cities of low- and middle-income countries’ pointed out that transport contributes nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in major Indian cities. The researchers said that current policy attention on electric vehicles and isolated cycle tracks misses safeguarding the large, low-income workforce that continues to rely on bicycles for daily commuting.
They study combined roadside surveys, interviews and street observations in Delhi, Chennai, Dhaka and Accra. Their evidence shows cycling is concentrated among lower-income workers, while official attention tends to follow affluent, recreational cycling.
It identified a disconnect between transport policy and urban mobility patterns in Delhi and Chennai. While policy documents prioritise electric vehicles and public transit under the assumption that bicycling has nearly diminished, the study stressed that high volumes of bicycling persist on specific corridors in Delhi, among other major cities.
In Delhi’s arterial-road sample, riders were almost entirely low-income men commuting long distances. The average reported trip lasted about 47 minutes, according to the study.
Many described the bicycle as the cheapest reliable way to reach work. Over two-thirds (67%) of respondents in Delhi ride “steel-frame fixed-gear roadsters” rather than mountain or gear bikes. As incomes rise, the study noted, many shift to motorcycles.
There is a clear infrastructural mismatch, the study noted. Where cycle tracks exist, they are often short, disconnected segments placed in better-off neighbourhoods. On working-class corridors, cyclists face high-speed traffic, flyovers and junctions designed for uninterrupted car movement. Even dedicated tracks are frequently blocked by parked vehicles, vendors, debris and motorcycles using them to bypass congestion, pushing cyclists back into mixed traffic, the study said.
Cyclists also compensate with improvised safety practices. Delhi riders reported repurposing removable road reflectors to increase nighttime visibility. Women cyclists, including migrants, often avoid arterials altogether, staying on residential streets and dismounting to walk bicycles across dangerous crossings, researchers found.
Citing that the transport sector is the major cause of pollution, the study recommended that protecting the cyclists could deliver rapid health and climate benefits in the Indian megacities, including Delhi.