Cycle quest in Indian cities going off-track
Efforts have largely missed the mark, with minimal cycling adoption and most lanes left deserted, damaged, or encroached upon
In recent years, several Indian cities launched ambitious plans to promote cycling, rolling out dedicated lanes with much fanfare. 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
In the late 19th century, bicycles were imported to India from England, and European Christian missionaries and British administrative officials were among the first to ride them. Ironically, what is today seen as a “poor man’s vehicle” was initially a symbol of status and privilege, predominantly used by the English and Parsi communities.
From the early 1900s through the 1950s and 1960s, bicycles became a common sight in Indian cities, serving as a cheap and efficient mode of transportation. Roads in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Pune echoed with the sounds of bicycle bells. Cycling was particularly popular among government employees, factory workers, and shopkeepers. Although there were no dedicated cycling lanes, low levels of motorised traffic made cycling safe.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, urban planning in India shifted towards motorised transport, prioritising cars and buses over bicycles. Cities started becoming more car-centric, and cycling infrastructure was not prioritised. The absence of dedicated cycling lanes discouraged urban cyclists, especially in rapidly growing metros.
In the late 1990s, with growing urbanisation, traffic and pollution, cities across the world began to recognise cycling as a sustainable transport solution. But in India, cycling initiatives remained limited. The launch of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in 2005 encouraged cities to re-imagine transport policies, leading to some cycling tracks in cities, such as Ahmedabad and Pune.
Pune’s pedal-powered past
No city in India embodies the decline of cycling more than Pune, once hailed as the nation’s “Cycle City.”
As early as 1982, Pune proposed not just cycling tracks, but also dedicated cycle-only bridges and underpasses. “Until the late ‘70s, distances were short, and almost everyone in the city cycled to work. There were no dedicated lanes, but with minimal traffic, cycling was simple and safe,” says Vikram Pendse, a cycling enthusiast who, in 2017, founded the Vikram Pendse Cycle Museum in the city.
The three-storey museum houses over 150 vintage cycles of major international brands, including a 1914 Sunbeam from England and a 1925 James Cycles model, alongside accessories such as tyres, bells, gears, and lamps. “70% of the cycles in the museum were collected from Pune, many from Parsi families, some of the city’s earliest cycle owners. Our museum celebrates Pune’s once-glorious cycling culture,” Pendse says.
Efforts to revive this legacy, such as the ambitious Pune Bicycle Plan, have not quite succeeded. Formulated in 2016 and approved by the Pune Municipal Corporation in 2017, the plan envisioned a 300-kilometre citywide cycling network with dedicated lanes, public bike systems, parking, and design standards. But it has largely remained on paper.
Meanwhile, several existing cycle lanes, such as the one on Sinhagad Road, are now overrun by vehicles and street vendors, besides serving as parking spaces. “In the past two decades, several cycle lanes and public bike systems were established in the city, but most are encroached upon and unused today. Citizens share responsibility for this too,” Pendse says.
Similarly, Bengaluru’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP), announced in 2020 by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), aims to build 600 km of cycling infrastructure by 2035. However, apart from a few short cycling lanes and a handful of bike stands and pedal ports (repair kiosks with tools and air pumps) at select Metro stations, DULT’s CMP, like Pune’s Bicycle Plan, has largely remained on paper.
However, the city does have several citizen-led initiatives, such as Pedaluru, which frequently organises events, including an ongoing 90-day cycle-to-work challenge for corporate employees, promoting a culture of sustainable mobility.
“Ironically, the city has a vibrant cycling culture but lacks the infrastructure. According to data from the Altmo platform, our digital tool for tracking sustainable mobility, over 2,500 employees from 390 companies cycle to work in Bengaluru daily, covering an average distance of 8–9 km each way. Besides, the city also has an estimated 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh (150,000-200,000) livelihood cycle riders each day,” says Sathya Sankaran, mobility activist and Bengaluru’s bicycle mayor.
“The city needs to create dedicated cycling lanes at scale, not piecemeal. By now, Bengaluru should have built at least 50 km of the 600 km of lanes planned under the CCMP,” he adds.
Cities, such as Ahmedabad, once praised for its award-winning Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) with a Bogota-inspired dedicated bicycle track, have seen a decline in cycling infrastructure. Municipal commissioner M Thennarasan says that the city has no plan to expand its cycle track network in the near future.
“While cycling is hugely popular as a recreational activity on the Sabarmati riverfront, interest in using it as a daily commute option remains low, and existing tracks are underused. We have no plans to build new lanes in the near future, though we won’t be removing the existing ones,” says Thennarasan.
Addressing the issue of continuous lanes, he adds, “Continuous lanes are hard to implement in congested cities because bridges and intersections need design changes, which can only be done in newly developed areas.”
Gadepalli says cities such as New Town Kolkata and Chandigarh have managed to establish and maintain effective cycling lanes. New Town Kolkata has created 45 km of demarcated cycling tracks, including two long stretches that are 8 km each, since 2020, under the Smart City Mission.
“Many people use these lanes not just for recreation but for commuting, and many families even moved to New Town because their children could cycle here. We have 31 docking stations with over 500 cycles,” says Meghna Pal, CEO, New Town Kolkata Smart City.
“We, too, face the problem of encroachment, but we tackle it by engaging citizen groups to monitor and clear these lanes. Regular involvement from the community is essential to maintain cycling infrastructure,” Pal adds.
Another lofty plan
While street-level cycling lanes remain neglected, encroached upon or even forgotten, some cities are setting their sights higher—literally. Hyderabad recently announced a plan for a 10-km “sky cycle walk” around Hussainsagar Lake. This elevated path, estimated to cost ₹200–250 crore, aims to give cyclists a safe, traffic-free experience.
“The project is expected to be completed by 2026–27. It’s part of the city’s master plan to improve non-motorised transport,” said an official from the Hyderabad Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (HUMTA).
Hyderabad isn’t the first to go lofty with its cycling ambitions. In 2021, Delhi’s Public Works Department ( PWD) proposed an elevated cycling track along a 3.25-km stretch of the Vikas Marg, designed to nestle below Metro pillars as part of a broader street redesign. But the plan remains just that—a plan.
China currently has the world’s longest elevated cycling track: the Xiamen Bicycle Skyway, a 7.6-km pathway in Xiamen dedicated exclusively to bicycles. Built in 2017, it has received multiple international awards for its innovative design and impact on urban mobility, providing a safe and traffic-free route above the busy streets below.
Experts say that elevated cycling tracks in India could encounter several challenges as they require high costs, frequent ramps for accessibility, and substantial urban space—difficult to accommodate in dense areas.
“Cities across the world now are investing in creating connected cycling networks that go through junctions, with cycle stands near transit stops, “ says Akash Hingorani, principal architect at Oasis Designs, a Delhi-based design firm that has worked on street design projects in Delhi and other cities.
“Studies show that 60% of trips in Delhi cover distances of 5 km or less, making cycling ideal for these journeys. Unfortunately, most cities in India build cycle lanes in a random and cosmetic manner, without a cycling masterplan. Cities need to show serious intent to create cycle lanes, giving them as much focus and importance as vehicular roads,” Hingorani adds.
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