Mixed feelings
What are the ground realities?
Sathya Sankaran, a mobility activist, says the city has just 6 kms of cycle lanes out of the 600 kms planned for 2035 while wondering whether DULT’s plans have been on track.
Ramesh Sreekantan, a Malleswaram resident, has been cycling 15-20 kms to work on and off since 2016. He says the number of ordinary cyclists has come down. “During Covid, the number of cyclists went up. Now it has come down, as vehicles and traffic increased. Now people cycle more to exercise or for pleasure, not out of necessity,” he adds.
Krishna Panyam, a Malleswaram resident and a cyclist, has participated in Cycle Days. He feels that Cycle Days have provided a fun avenue for cycling communities to connect, but that has not resulted in major changes, like more people taking to cycling, at least in the Malleswaram area.
He cites the reluctance to cycle on main roads, even during Cycle Day events, as an example of the mindset that prevents cycling from becoming mainstream.
“People immediately say there is traffic. That is exactly the point, to show that it is okay for cycles to be on the road and other road users should adjust,” he says. He says the lack of respect for cyclists is the biggest hurdle.
He finds cycle lanes being laid on pedestrian lanes to be a problem. “It’s already bad for pedestrians, and riding on the footpath is uncomfortable. This will worsen the problem,” he says.
“The reality is that our roads are not wide enough for cycle lanes. In Malleswaram, for example, I do not know which road we can have cycle lanes on without being bogged down by parking problems for other vehicles. None of them are wide enough,” he explains.
Just like people get used to pedestrians, cyclists should also be a norm on roads. “It is important for vehicles to get used to cyclists on the road. Cycle lanes are possible only on newer and bigger roads, not so much in the neighbourhoods and smaller roads,” he adds.
Krishna says promoting awareness of cycling and respect for cyclists among kids is important to prompt behavioural change.
“Fixing potholes and footpaths and designing cycle stands in metro stations and other areas are other things that will promote cycling. Painted cycle lanes do not mean much when compared to these,” he says.
Many loopholes
Pravir Bagrodia, a Whitefield resident, has participated in many cycling events across the city, including Cycle Days. “The biggest issue is wrong-side driving. It’s rampant. The police presence is minuscule, and they cannot control vehicular traffic. Vehicle users try to bully the users by unnecessarily honking and coming close to cycles. I have experienced this. One has to be a good cyclist to overcome these,” he says.
Pravir gives the example of cycling tracks recently laid in the EPIP area in Whitefield. “At weekends, the areas are empty. Cycle lanes have been demarcated here. However, it is almost of no use. There are two issues. Many vehicles are parked on the lanes, leading cyclists to take a detour. Bikes take the same lane, so I could not use the nicely laid cycle lane,” he explains.
He lists pollution, congestion and road safety hazards as other hurdles for cycling. “I venture out for cycling in mostly controlled areas, such as inner roads and bylanes, which are not polluted and do not have traffic,” he adds.
Will marking cycle lanes on bigger roads help? Pravir says BBMP has not regulated cycle lanes wherever it is possible to do it and sees no hope for anything new. “The cycle lane marked on the footpath near the SAP Labs is nice. But it is occupied by Yulu bikes and regular scooters. Cyclists cannot use it. Outside the Karnataka Trade Promotion Organisation area, the space is wide enough, but the cycle track is rendered useless because of unregulated parking and vehicle movement,” he explains.
“The bigger the road, the more difficult it is to regulate traffic. I’ll not recommend new cycle lanes until they fix basic issues on existing ones. It’s a waste of money,” he says.
Cycle-sharing trial
Civic groups in Malleswaram plan to pilot a bike-sharing initiative soon where 15-20 e-bikes will be given on rentals to interested users. Krishna Panyam says the initiative will be championed by the Sampige Foundation and will aided by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
“At a later stage, we want to see whether people from communities can share their cycles with the needy users,” he adds. The unique project is expected to take off in July.
Ramesh Sreekantan, a Malleswaram resident and avid cyclist, feels that bicycle sharing has not been popular worldwide other than in Europe, and Bengaluru is no exception. “Old Bengaluru has not taken to public bicycles in a big way. Bicycles have been rented more by the gig economy workers than communities and commoners. There is an aspirational aspect behind going for motorised vehicles in India,” he says. People are in a wait-and-watch mode to see the outcome of this trial.