Cycling schemes a flat tyre, yet govt pumps away at them

New Delhi: Around half a century ago, almost 60% of road trips in the capital involved bicycles. Today, experts reckon they constitute at best 4% of the city's commutes. The Delhi government is keen to make cycling a more significant part of transport in the capital and so has decided to use the fines collected for violations during the fortnight-long odd-even licence plate experiment to subsidise the purchase of bicycles.
The scheme sounds great on paper, because the non-fuel medium could bring down both vehicular pollution as well as congestion on the streets. This is not the first time that the authorities are focusing on the bicycle as a mode of transport. But is it feasible in a city that looks down on cyclists?
Despite, transport minister Gopal Rai's fervent pitch for increasing the number of cycle stands in the Delhi Metro network last year, they operate today only at 11 stations. The BRT, which was a rare cycle-friendly project, is set to be dismantled. Meanwhile, the Delhi Development Authority's plan to provide 300 cycle stations in and around Dwarka is yet to take off.

Rai, however, is unfazed. "We have decided to offer a subsidy on the purchase of cycles using the funds collected as fines for odd-even violations to promote cycling in the national capital," he said last week. "The government's move is aimed at motivating people to use cycles as part of its drive of make Delhi pollution-free." The modalities of the scheme are to be worked out once the odd-even campaign ends on January 15.
The amount collected as fines is going to be substantial. Commuters who were booked for driving cars with the wrong number plate for the day coughed up Rs 2,000 for the infringement. Between January 1 and 8 alone, the traffic police and the transport and revenue departments issued 5,893 challans, with a week still to go for the lifting of the driving restrictions.
Bicycles, however, have not enamoured commuters. The Delhi Metro cycle stands mostly wear a deserted look every day. The Delhi roads are dangerous for cyclists because of the absence of dedicated cycle tracks along arterial streets. In the run-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the then chief minister Sheila Dikshit had promised bicycle lanes along all major roads, including flyovers. The promise was never fulfilled. Even where tracks have been created, they have been taken over for unauthorised parking by cars and autorickshaws or have become dumps for waste.
The Delhi Master Plan 2021 has indeed suggested cycle tracks on all roads. As far back as1998, experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, led by Geetam Tiwari, had even come up with a bicycle master plan for Delhi. The government however, is yet to look at the suggestions from the report with any seriousness.
Experts point out that creating tracks is not enough. In several countries, the government gives tax exemptions to promote cycling. Schemes to make commuters switch to cycling for trips less than five kilometres can perhaps be given some thought. Most importantly, cycles should be seen as an effective feeder system for the Metro and the bus system.