Cycling has long been one of the fastest, most flexible and most reliable modes of transport. Even before the pandemic, millions of people relied on bikes to do their jobs or get to work. But when stay-at-home orders temporarily curtailed daily life around the world, the role of bicycles changed. Covid-19 brought a dramatic increase in bicycle sales in response to the pandemic. The increased anxiety about public transport and the increase in movement meant that more and more people were opting for one of the most basic forms of mobility, leading to the so-called 'bicycle boom'.
This phenomenon has been well documented: suppliers have struggled to keep up with demand; cities redesigned their streets to accommodate the influx of riders; manufacturers struggle to predict the longevity of the bike's newfound popularity; Economists are considering whether the growing popularity of e-bikes will allow more commuters to work.
In 2021, total vehicle registrations in India stood at around 1.5 million units, with Delhi and Mumbai among the most car-congested cities. However, Covid-19 has led to an increase in the number of people using bicycles for short to medium distance travel; limited access to gyms and concerns about exercising in parks and other open spaces have apparently prompted more people to take up fitness cycling. It's true that Covid-19 started a global cycling movement, and India is slowly catching up, with cycling to work, for fun and for fitness becoming more acceptable than before.
In June 2020, there was a 25% increase in national bicycle sales compared to the average monthly sales in the pre-Covid-19 period. Both regular road bikes and premium bikes in the fitness segment saw a sharp increase in sales. A study by the Transportation and Development Policy Institute predicts that cycling will increase by 50-60% in cities across the country after the lockdown.
Once the lockdown was lifted, the humble bike regained its rightful place on Indian roads. It offers a one-stop cure for three vexing problems facing our policy makers: traffic congestion, pollution and the health of our people.
The lack of safe cycling road infrastructure and the absence of a cycling culture are the main obstacles to the mass expansion of cycling. Although we are still far from cycling becoming one of the main modes of urban transport, the pandemic has served to make cycling mainstream among urban youth. This much needed respect must pave the way for a great cycling revolution in India. Since lockdown restrictions were eased, pollution levels in many of our metros appear to be returning to pre-lockdown levels, with Mumbai seeing a 60% rise in NO2. Promoting cycling as a mode of transport can prevent this. Cycling, an industry that was already thriving before the pandemic, suddenly accelerated. But what will this mean for the future of bicycles?
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