Last week, Delhi saw its first 'Car Free Day' on October 22, Dusshehra. This was largely Arvind Kejriwal's initiative, with the idea being to promote cycling as a means of reducing the pollution levels in the city with the worst air in the world.
On this day, the stretch of road between Lal Qila and India Gate was shut off to cars. Only public transport and cycles were allowed on this stretch between 7 a.m. and 12 noon (which, according to some news reports, was reduced to a 4 hour period ending at 11 a.m.).
Now here's what pisses me off about 'Car Free Day'. Closing off a 6 kilometre stretch to cars for a period of 5 hours on one day of the month and calling it a 'No Car Day' is a misnomer. It's only symbolic at best. In fact, it's a gimmick. And it's actually very insulting to those who may actually want to use cycling as a means of getting around the city, but are prevented from doing so because facilitating a cycle-friendly environment is so low down on the Delhi Government's list of priorities that it will be years before it becomes a reality, if at all.
All year round, the government does nothing to make riding a safer experience in Delhi. But it expects its citizens to forget that for a short period of time every month and hop on to their cycles to promote an activity that in reality is hazardous and ill-advised for all the remaining days and hours of the year.
In fact, 'Car Free Day' itself saw many cyclists drive with their cycles to Lal Qila or to other points of assembly where they would meet other cyclists and cycle to Lal Qila. Perhaps even driving longer distances than the six kilometres they cycled. Bravo. That ought to reduce the pollution levels in the city.
I try to cycle regularly through the year in Delhi. Believe me, it's not easy. Cycling on the Delhi roads any time after 7 a.m. on a weekday is a bad idea, given the sheer volume of inconsiderate motorised vehicle traffic whose obnoxious conduct will make you re-think this activity, force you to go home and lock up that cycle in safety and get into your car instead. So now I have made my peace with waking up at unearthly hours on Sunday - the only day that still sees relatively less traffic than the rest of the week - and taking my cycle to areas within the seemingly safe NDMC limits and doing loops and loops and loops to make the distance. This is not exactly a bed of roses either, though. I constantly have to be on alert for the errant driver and DTC buses which sneak up unannounced from behind you and all but graze you from the side. The dust and pollution makes your eyes sting and you come home with a scratchy throat and fuller nostrils.
I wish cycling to work was a realistic option for me but after having tried this a few times, I have had been forced to give up on this idea. While I made my peace with starting out much earlier than I was actually supposed to be at work (to avoid the worst of the traffic), it was the ride back that really discouraged me from pursuing this as a serious commuting option. Apart from the relentless traffic, what really got to me was being constantly stared at as the anomalous rider of a gender not commonly seen commuting on two wheels. It's always harder after dark - I feel more diffident. I did consider taking extreme measures such as disguising myself as a guy to be able to undertake these rides and wondered about the things that I would need to do (maybe a mask to hide my face? maybe strapping my chest to look more masculine?). But what was the guarantee that I would stop feeling unsafe in spite of taking great pains to disguise my identity. And should I really need to take such pains to be able to do an activity as innocuous as cycling to and from office?
But I digress. This post is not about me. This post is about how futile 'Car Free Day' will continue to be unless the Delhi Government does something about making cycling safer and more sustainable for the citizens of this city.
1. Build cycle lanes
At present, a very small part of Delhi has cycle lanes. In order for cycling to be a sustainable way of getting around the city, this network of cycle lanes needs to expand. It's neither pleasant nor safe to be forced to cycle amidst the LMVs and HMVs of the city, but unfortunately that's the only option available to Delhi's cyclists, for the most part. The Delhi Government needs to show its seriousness on promoting cycling by actually facilitating cycling channels on as many roads as possible.
But dear Government, I don't mean just build cycle lanes, I mean treat them as that.
2. Legislate and enforce the law in the cycle lanes
Here's a great video that shows what cycling in Delhi's cycling lane is actually like. As a cyclist in this lane, you will have to negotiate many unexpected breaks in the lane, motorised traffic, cycles and other vehicles even charging at you full throttle from the wrong side, and last but not the least, traffic police that condones all of the above.
I have even seen the cycling lane outside the Supreme Court being used as a convenient parking spot for a car. Evidently lawyers can have some very questionable civic sense.
A particularly bad stretch which always makes me quite angry is the Chirag Dilli intersection, where motorised traffic is encouraged to spill over to the cycle lane to cut short their waiting time at the uncomfortably long red light, by using the cycle lane as their free left turn.
On the cycle lane on the Defence Colony flyover, I have frequently been forced to come to a dangerous screeching halt due to vehicles coming at me from the wrong side and - this goes to show how little regard people in the city have for these lanes - people who use this stretch as a place to stand and feed birds!!
At the root of the problem is the fact that while some small pockets of Delhi do have a cycle lane, the Governments which built these lanes clearly thought that their duty ends precisely there. To my knowledge, there is till date no legislation which regulates how these cycle lanes are to be used. As a result, motorised cars enter these lanes willy nilly with no fear of punishment. There needs to be a clear legislation to set out the legalities of using the cycle lane, with heavy fines for violations such as their misuse by motor vehicles, and for cyclists coming in the wrong direction - both equally dangerous as they promote collisions.
3. Cycles in the metro
One of the key objectives of 'Car Free Day' was to promote the use of public transport. The Delhi Metro is one of the options available. Compared to many other cities such as London and New York with a widespread network of metro stations, which enable you to get by with a combination of metro and walking, the stations in the Delhi Metro are few and far between. Feeder services to metro stations are either poor or non-existent. Travelling by bike for the shorter distances between the closest metro station and homes/offices is a great idea, but one that is currently unsupported. While I believe folding cycles are permitted on the Delhi Metro, there is still no provision to carry a regular cycle in the train carriages. This is not an absurd proposition - many countries around the world permit cyclists to carry their cycles on the metro. If this is allowed, an economical and pollution-free metro feeder service may become available to all those people who own a cycle and do want to use it meaningfully.
3. Safe cycle parking lots
Another reason why people hesitate from bringing out their cycles for more regular use is the fear of theft. Of the cycle itself, or the accessories on it (e.g. you would be ill-advised to cycle long distances without lights, a small pump and a puncture repair kit). There need to be safe cycling parking lots, even for a nominal fee if need be, for cycling to become a sustainable way of moving about the city. Existing parking lots in markets, malls and parks, should incorporate a section for parking cycles. One place to take a cue from is the excellent cycling parking lot housed within the larger underground parking in India Habitat Centre, where they even supply locks for the duration of parking.
4. Pollution masks
We need to end our naivety and address head on the reality that Delhi's air is dangerously toxic. I have tried researching this online, but find that in India, there are not many suitable options in the market as far as pollution masks are concerned. This is something the Government should take note of, and take steps to redress. If the Government wants to promote cycling in the world's most polluted city, it also has an obligation to provide good quality pollution masks to cyclists. There are some effective options available abroad, but they are too expensive and out of reach. Similar masks need to be developed in Delhi, and subsidised for its residents, and particularly those who spend significant parts of the day outdoors.
5. Subsidised cycle lights
Let us now address the issue of night-time cycling safety. For a large part of the population in the city, cycling as a means of transport is not a recreational transport, but arises from a lack of choice. I see many cycles at night without reflectors and lights, which is a risky business, particularly in parts of the city where street lighting is not adequate. In order to make cycling safer at night, the Government should provide subsidised cycling lights to cyclists. This is not as outrageous as it sounds, because cycle lights do not have to be the expensive gadgets boasting thousands of lumen that posh recreational cyclists use. It's possible to use cycle lights that are dynamo-based, powered by the act of pedalling which every cyclist must necessarily engage in to keep the cycle moving. I have seen some in Vietnam, convincing me that this is a viable and inexpensive option for another similar country: ours.
On this day, the stretch of road between Lal Qila and India Gate was shut off to cars. Only public transport and cycles were allowed on this stretch between 7 a.m. and 12 noon (which, according to some news reports, was reduced to a 4 hour period ending at 11 a.m.).
Now here's what pisses me off about 'Car Free Day'. Closing off a 6 kilometre stretch to cars for a period of 5 hours on one day of the month and calling it a 'No Car Day' is a misnomer. It's only symbolic at best. In fact, it's a gimmick. And it's actually very insulting to those who may actually want to use cycling as a means of getting around the city, but are prevented from doing so because facilitating a cycle-friendly environment is so low down on the Delhi Government's list of priorities that it will be years before it becomes a reality, if at all.
All year round, the government does nothing to make riding a safer experience in Delhi. But it expects its citizens to forget that for a short period of time every month and hop on to their cycles to promote an activity that in reality is hazardous and ill-advised for all the remaining days and hours of the year.
Mulling over 'Car Free Day' while stuck in standstill traffic.
In fact, 'Car Free Day' itself saw many cyclists drive with their cycles to Lal Qila or to other points of assembly where they would meet other cyclists and cycle to Lal Qila. Perhaps even driving longer distances than the six kilometres they cycled. Bravo. That ought to reduce the pollution levels in the city.
I try to cycle regularly through the year in Delhi. Believe me, it's not easy. Cycling on the Delhi roads any time after 7 a.m. on a weekday is a bad idea, given the sheer volume of inconsiderate motorised vehicle traffic whose obnoxious conduct will make you re-think this activity, force you to go home and lock up that cycle in safety and get into your car instead. So now I have made my peace with waking up at unearthly hours on Sunday - the only day that still sees relatively less traffic than the rest of the week - and taking my cycle to areas within the seemingly safe NDMC limits and doing loops and loops and loops to make the distance. This is not exactly a bed of roses either, though. I constantly have to be on alert for the errant driver and DTC buses which sneak up unannounced from behind you and all but graze you from the side. The dust and pollution makes your eyes sting and you come home with a scratchy throat and fuller nostrils.
I wish cycling to work was a realistic option for me but after having tried this a few times, I have had been forced to give up on this idea. While I made my peace with starting out much earlier than I was actually supposed to be at work (to avoid the worst of the traffic), it was the ride back that really discouraged me from pursuing this as a serious commuting option. Apart from the relentless traffic, what really got to me was being constantly stared at as the anomalous rider of a gender not commonly seen commuting on two wheels. It's always harder after dark - I feel more diffident. I did consider taking extreme measures such as disguising myself as a guy to be able to undertake these rides and wondered about the things that I would need to do (maybe a mask to hide my face? maybe strapping my chest to look more masculine?). But what was the guarantee that I would stop feeling unsafe in spite of taking great pains to disguise my identity. And should I really need to take such pains to be able to do an activity as innocuous as cycling to and from office?
But I digress. This post is not about me. This post is about how futile 'Car Free Day' will continue to be unless the Delhi Government does something about making cycling safer and more sustainable for the citizens of this city.
1. Build cycle lanes
At present, a very small part of Delhi has cycle lanes. In order for cycling to be a sustainable way of getting around the city, this network of cycle lanes needs to expand. It's neither pleasant nor safe to be forced to cycle amidst the LMVs and HMVs of the city, but unfortunately that's the only option available to Delhi's cyclists, for the most part. The Delhi Government needs to show its seriousness on promoting cycling by actually facilitating cycling channels on as many roads as possible.
But dear Government, I don't mean just build cycle lanes, I mean treat them as that.
2. Legislate and enforce the law in the cycle lanes
Here's a great video that shows what cycling in Delhi's cycling lane is actually like. As a cyclist in this lane, you will have to negotiate many unexpected breaks in the lane, motorised traffic, cycles and other vehicles even charging at you full throttle from the wrong side, and last but not the least, traffic police that condones all of the above.
I have even seen the cycling lane outside the Supreme Court being used as a convenient parking spot for a car. Evidently lawyers can have some very questionable civic sense.
A particularly bad stretch which always makes me quite angry is the Chirag Dilli intersection, where motorised traffic is encouraged to spill over to the cycle lane to cut short their waiting time at the uncomfortably long red light, by using the cycle lane as their free left turn.
On the cycle lane on the Defence Colony flyover, I have frequently been forced to come to a dangerous screeching halt due to vehicles coming at me from the wrong side and - this goes to show how little regard people in the city have for these lanes - people who use this stretch as a place to stand and feed birds!!
At the root of the problem is the fact that while some small pockets of Delhi do have a cycle lane, the Governments which built these lanes clearly thought that their duty ends precisely there. To my knowledge, there is till date no legislation which regulates how these cycle lanes are to be used. As a result, motorised cars enter these lanes willy nilly with no fear of punishment. There needs to be a clear legislation to set out the legalities of using the cycle lane, with heavy fines for violations such as their misuse by motor vehicles, and for cyclists coming in the wrong direction - both equally dangerous as they promote collisions.
3. Cycles in the metro
One of the key objectives of 'Car Free Day' was to promote the use of public transport. The Delhi Metro is one of the options available. Compared to many other cities such as London and New York with a widespread network of metro stations, which enable you to get by with a combination of metro and walking, the stations in the Delhi Metro are few and far between. Feeder services to metro stations are either poor or non-existent. Travelling by bike for the shorter distances between the closest metro station and homes/offices is a great idea, but one that is currently unsupported. While I believe folding cycles are permitted on the Delhi Metro, there is still no provision to carry a regular cycle in the train carriages. This is not an absurd proposition - many countries around the world permit cyclists to carry their cycles on the metro. If this is allowed, an economical and pollution-free metro feeder service may become available to all those people who own a cycle and do want to use it meaningfully.
3. Safe cycle parking lots
Another reason why people hesitate from bringing out their cycles for more regular use is the fear of theft. Of the cycle itself, or the accessories on it (e.g. you would be ill-advised to cycle long distances without lights, a small pump and a puncture repair kit). There need to be safe cycling parking lots, even for a nominal fee if need be, for cycling to become a sustainable way of moving about the city. Existing parking lots in markets, malls and parks, should incorporate a section for parking cycles. One place to take a cue from is the excellent cycling parking lot housed within the larger underground parking in India Habitat Centre, where they even supply locks for the duration of parking.
4. Pollution masks
We need to end our naivety and address head on the reality that Delhi's air is dangerously toxic. I have tried researching this online, but find that in India, there are not many suitable options in the market as far as pollution masks are concerned. This is something the Government should take note of, and take steps to redress. If the Government wants to promote cycling in the world's most polluted city, it also has an obligation to provide good quality pollution masks to cyclists. There are some effective options available abroad, but they are too expensive and out of reach. Similar masks need to be developed in Delhi, and subsidised for its residents, and particularly those who spend significant parts of the day outdoors.
5. Subsidised cycle lights
Let us now address the issue of night-time cycling safety. For a large part of the population in the city, cycling as a means of transport is not a recreational transport, but arises from a lack of choice. I see many cycles at night without reflectors and lights, which is a risky business, particularly in parts of the city where street lighting is not adequate. In order to make cycling safer at night, the Government should provide subsidised cycling lights to cyclists. This is not as outrageous as it sounds, because cycle lights do not have to be the expensive gadgets boasting thousands of lumen that posh recreational cyclists use. It's possible to use cycle lights that are dynamo-based, powered by the act of pedalling which every cyclist must necessarily engage in to keep the cycle moving. I have seen some in Vietnam, convincing me that this is a viable and inexpensive option for another similar country: ours.
***
On Dussehra Day, a friend and I cycled to Chanakyapuri to eat lunch at Assam Bhawan. Traffic was only marginally better than usual on this holiday, but we prided ourselves on using the cycle functionally as opposed to a symbolic rally. Unfortunately, my friend's front light was nicked from his cycle during the course of our lunch. Daylight robbery, quite literally. We have a long way to go.
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