Cycle to work- A dream or reality?

Let me ask you a question, how many hours do you commute to work daily? Yes, I am asking this question regarding the normal scenario. At present most of us are working from home. But the memory of being stuck in the traffic still haunt us. Do you remember it? 

Do you remember a 5 km distance took at least 45 minutes if not one hour in Delhi? In Mumbai and Bangalore, the horror of the traffic jam is always there. It does not stop here, after reaching the office, you would take another 15 minutes to find the right parking spot nearby your office. If you are lucky you won’t have to walk too far from the parking spot to the office campus. 

Why do we need a car, bus, auto-rickshaw or train to commute just 5 km? A car with just a single passenger will take 4-6 times more space on the road, making it more difficult for the traffic situation. This is a real case of Indian cities whereas we wish to own a car/vehicle to reach office early and eventually reach later than expected. I am not talking about the pollution caused, fuel prices or parking charges, not even about the maintenance cost, I am just saying the price paid for is much higher than the perceived. It impacts the whole society, yours and my family too at home. 

So what’s the alternative? You probably know it since you are reading a cycling blog. I highly admire cycling as a commute to work within the 5-10 km range. Those who are going via train or metro (subway), can opt for a foldable bike and use it for the end destination from the last train station. It seems a ridiculous idea at first to do so as the environment is not so bike-friendly, we have too much heat or cold in some parts of India. I believe even if half the population start commuting by cycle, we will be able to curb some heat or temperature caused by burning fossil fuels.

There are roadblocks as well to this idea. The first roadblock is that we don’t have proper cycling lanes in our cities. I spoke to many cycling enthusiasts, and I realised it’s a vicious cycle. We don’t have a cycling lane since we don’t have enough cyclists in the city and vice versa. this is the logic that creates hindrance within government to make such lanes. Therefore, it’s everyone’s responsibility, show some sense towards this and then demand for your rights.

The second roadblock is road etiquette. Most of us are trained by our culture that cycling is a poor man vehicle. I wonder one should visit Netherland to understand the difference. In most cases, cyclists are unsafe on road without cycling safety gear.

Another roadblock is we are not taught to cycle. Many of us might have got a toy cycle in childhood but as we grow up, we are discouraged to cycle on the main road due to safety concerns. Cycling should come as a virtue for everyone and it should start from every house.

Lastly, you should begin with yourself.  If you are reading this article, probably, you would start thinking to ride. Don’t give up. Most of us give up this after a few days. Remember, the change we are expecting will have to come through us. If you have kids in the family, give them a gift of cycling that will make them fit and healthier. 

There is no doubt, and all cyclists will agree with me that cycling makes us happier. If you wish to see the happy faces, I recommend visiting meet the passionate cyclist. They will tell you how good life is if we cycle on regular basis.

So what are you waiting for, get a cycle, get a life! Happy riding!