As part of a worldwide plan by international cyclists’ organisations to get 50% of all urban commuters to travel by bicycle in 2030, Mumbai is setting up bicycle parking spots in the H (west) municipal ward which covers Bandra-Santacruz.
While the 2030 target may be an impossible task for Mumbai where only one in 14 commuters walked or cycled to work, the success of a cycle stand installed this week at Bandra Reclamation has enthused those promoting cycling as a commuting mode in cities.
The Mumbai cycling project
Mumbai’s cycling project is a joint idea of the Smart Commute Foundation, a group campaigning for cycling infrastructure, and the local administration. As part of the campaign, cycle stands have been set up at 24 locations at Bandra, Khar, and Santacruz railway stations, Bandra Fort, and Almeida Park, apart from the latest location at Bandra Reclamation.
Firoza Dadan of Smart Commute, said that the demand for the cycle parks has been so great that there are plans to increase the number of slots at Bandra station. According to Dadan, cycling, both as a hobby and a form of commute, picked up during the COVID-19 epidemic. “There was a 35% increase in cycling activity across the world. In Mumbai, cycling to work was once the prerogative of low-paid workers like the Dabbawalas (the local tiffin-delivery service). But there is an increasing momentum and we are seeing a surge in cycling activity,” said Dadan who uses a cycle to commute from her home in Juhu to her workplace in Dadar, a distance of around 13 kilometers.
Mumbai's first 'Bicycle Mayor'
Dadan is Mumbai's first 'Bicycle Mayor', a post created by Amsterdam-based non-profit group BYCS, as a part of a project to induce more urban commuters to ditch motorised transport, and shift to cycling. The 2030 target to get at least half of all urban commuters to shift away from motorised transport is part of BCCS’s campaign to create safe and adequate infrastructure for non-motorised transport in cities.
Vinayak Vispute, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of H (west) said, “The project is to encourage more people to use cycles, and for this, we have to help them by providing parking areas. Cycling is smart commuting because it is not polluting and the activity is beneficial to the public.”
It will need a long and sustained campaign to convince Mumbaikars to cycle to work. A study on commuting in six Asian cities in 2016 found that 43% of Mumbai commuters used suburban trains to travel, while 20% used buses; 9% used private cars. Only 7% walked or cycled to work in the city, compared to 23% in Tokyo and 20% in Singapore.
City reported no fatalities among cyclists during peak hour traffic
Unlike perceptions that cycling is a dangerous activity in a traffic-clogged city like Mumbai, cyclists said that the city had reported no fatalities among cyclists during peak hour traffic. Ajay Lulla, a software professional, and a ‘Bicycle Councillor’ – one of the 24 such posts in Mumbai, said that while Mumbai’s roads are dangerous for small vehicles, cyclists can travel safely if they observe rules about wearing helmets and maintaining tail lights. “Keep to the extreme left. Caution and precaution is important,” said Lulla who commutes by cycle from his home in Kandivali to his workplace in Andheri at least a couple of days in the week.
"Accidents have happened during leisure hours," said Dadan who added that potholes on roads are the biggest threat to cyclists.
The pleasant weather months between November and February see a lot of cycling events, especially during the weekends.
