In Delhi, cycling is survival, not choice, says global urban mobility study

The average one-way commute time for Delhi cyclists was 47 minutes — the highest among all cities in the study.

Cycling in Delhi remains a necessity for low-income workers rather than a lifestyle or environmental choice, a new international study published in the Nature Cities journal has found.

(Photo for representation)

The research, which examined bicycling conditions in Delhi and Chennai in India, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Accra in Ghana, presents a stark picture from the capital, showing how urban road design, policy neglect and institutional blind spots have left everyday cyclists navigating dangerous streets with little protection.

Based on intercept surveys and interviews conducted across arterial roads and neighbourhoods in Delhi, the study found that nearly all cyclists on major roads were adult men from economically vulnerable households, working as vendors, delivery personnel, factory labourers or security staff. Women and children, by contrast, were largely confined to cycling within residential colonies, avoiding main roads due to traffic risks.

“Household income data underscored the class divide in urban mobility. Surveyed cyclists reported an average monthly household income of about USD 216 (roughly ₹18,000), less than half of Delhi’s city average. Almost none of the cyclists owned a motorcycle or car, confirming that bicycling remains concentrated among those with limited transport alternatives,” the study noted.

For many, cycling is also a long daily grind. The average one-way commute time for Delhi cyclists was 47 minutes — the highest among all cities in the study — reflecting the widening distance between affordable housing in peripheral resettlement colonies and employment hubs. For thousands of workers, the bicycle is the only way to bridge this gap every day.

“As a result, families perceive cycling as suitable only for fit adult men capable of enduring traffic risks. Children, elderly persons and women are discouraged from riding on main roads, reinforcing gendered and age-based exclusion from urban mobility,” the study added.

Although cycle tracks exist in parts of Delhi, they are largely confined to higher-income neighbourhoods and appear in short, disconnected stretches that rarely align with the long commuting routes used by working-class cyclists. Even where tracks are available, usability remains poor, with lanes frequently blocked by parked vehicles, street vendors, construction material and motorcyclists.

The study also highlighted the fragile ecosystem that keeps everyday cycling alive. Most riders depend on small footpath-based repair stalls to maintain decades-old, steel-frame roadster bicycles built for heavy loads and rough roads. These informal repair shops provide essential services and spare parts, but face shrinking space, eviction threats and repeated negotiations with authorities. Many repairers identified themselves as former or current cyclists, reflecting the shared precarity of both groups.

Bicycle-sharing systems introduced in Delhi, both docked and dockless, were also found to be largely non-functional, owing to weak maintenance networks and poor integration with local repair economies.

The study’s core policy message is that Delhi’s problem is not merely the absence of cycling infrastructure, but the systematic prioritisation of automobile mobility over the needs of those who already depend on bicycles. Public investment has focused on persuading car users to shift to bicycles, while the daily risks faced by working-class riders remain largely ignored.

The researchers concluded that improving safety, road design and institutional support for existing cyclists could prevent a future shift towards private motor vehicles as incomes rise, offering a pathway to cleaner and more equitable urban mobility.