Roads need Bicycles

Blog post by Naeem Sadiq, published in The News on 16th January 2010

Bicycle, the most energy-efficient form of transport ever devised. It doesn’t emit pollution, it runs on renewable energy, it makes its user healthier, it’s easy to repair, it requires little in the way of pavement or parking, and 80 percent of the world’s people can afford one. — Donella H Meadows, environmental scientist and author, founder of the Sustainability Institute (1941-2001)

Amsterdam, the bike capital of the world, has 40 per cent of all traffic movement by bicycle. In the next few years the city will spend 100 million euros to further improve its cycle network and reduce car use. The promotion of cycling includes a network of safe, fast and comfortable bicycle routes, improving road safety for cyclists and building a 10,000-bike parking garage.

Copenhagen plans to double its spending on biking infrastructure over the next three years. Thirty-two per cent of its workforce bicycles to work. The city’s bicycle paths are extensive, often separated from the main traffic lanes and sometimes having their own signal systems. The city provides public bicycles which can be found throughout the downtown area and used with a small returnable deposit.

Paris, which has a total ban on cars along stretches of the Seine River on Sundays and holidays, has created a three-phase programme to make much of the central city traffic-free in the next few years, except for cyclists. In July 2007, in a span of 36 hours, Paris placed over 10,000 bicycles on its streets, launching an ambitious bike-sharing system that is meant to lead a revolution in the way Parisians move around in the city. The programme aims to help reduce pollution and keep the people of Paris physically fit. The British government has allocated an unprecedented £140 million to “Cycling England” over the next three years. This funding is intended to increase the cycling levels by creating a “Cycling Demonstration Towns Programme.” The new investment means that selected “Cycling Cities” will now have a cycling budget of around £16 per citizen per year.

The town of Davis in California, 17 per cent of whose residents commute to work on bicycles, is about to build a $1.7 million bikes-only tunnel under a major road. Boulder, Colorado, spends 15 per cent of its transportation budget on building and maintaining bicycle traffic. As well as London itself, New York, Stockholm, Vienna, Prague and Rome are among scores of other cities that are increasingly switching over to the concept of car-free zones. City planners the world over are beginning to rethink the role of the car in urban transport systems. Humans were not designed around cities, after all. It is cities that need to be designed around humans.

In Karachi, on the other hand, there is not a single bicycle path. Nor is there a plan to make one. The 2020 Karachi Strategic Development Plan has billions earmarked for roads, flyovers and underpasses, but not a penny for the construction of bicycle paths. It seems the city is stuck on the “signal-free corridor” concept of development aimed at serving a small minority, those who drive gas-guzzling vehicles, with no consideration for ordinary citizens.

There are many ways to restructure the transportation system of Karachi so that it satisfies the needs of all its people, not just the affluent. What can Karachi do to become a clean, peaceful and noise- and pollution-free city, one which is friendly to cyclists and pedestrians? It could start by providing simple facilities to its citizens. Every road could have walkways for pedestrians (with ramps for wheelchairs) and pathways for cyclists. People should be able to walk or cycle comfortably and safely. The city centres should be declared no-vehicle zones.

If Karachi were to stop being so impressed by the façade of Dubai, it could learn that Dubai is already correcting its mistakes and is now planning to build 900 kilometres of bicycle and pedestrian tracks all around the city. In China, meanwhile, a group of eminent scientists has challenged Beijing’s decision to promote an automobile-centred transport system. Cycling and public transport should form the core of Karachi’s transportation system. A network of safe bicycle paths needs to be developed, coupled with an efficient public transport system, so as to encourage and enable everyone to travel as equal citizens, helping to reduce the noise and the carbon footprint of the much polluted city.

A cycling group called “Critical Mass” (citizen.cyclist@gmail.com) gathers to cycle every other Sunday in Karachi, to bring back the old cycling tradition and to raise awareness of the need for a cycle-friendly city. In Lahore, “Critical Mass” takes place on the last Sunday of the month, with enthusiasts cycling in a group on the remaining Sundays. The mayor would do well to revisit the Karachi 2020 Strategic Development Plan, knock out a couple of flyovers and underpasses and ask for bicycle and pedestrian paths to be made along all roads, where the car-less ordinary citizens could safely walk or ride a bicycle, without the fear of being knocked down by a weapon-brandishing Prado.


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7 responses to “Roads need Bicycles”

  1. dr jawwad khan Avatar
    dr jawwad khan

    wonderful issue…

    you not only need a cycle track but also you have to resize the city.

    A city like karachi has no place for bicycles.

  2. Zuhaib Avatar

    Yeah that is what Pakistan needs more, copy things that uber rich people do in San Francisco.

    I am from SF and they love to do "Critical Mass" and pretty much all they do is piss off the drivers of SF and make them hate the bicycles riders more. The transition to people going to bike is more of a personal decision then something that can be legislated or forced on.

    Also funny that all the cities mention that have "Bicycle" plans are in

    a) In First world Nations (UK, US, Ned, and etc)

    b) I dont think they have to deal with larger issues like suicide bombers, clash of political parties with guns, rampant poor, lack of proper road for cars.. and the list goes on

    First Karachi or any city in Pakistan needs to worry about is making the city safe for the people that call those cities home. Next need to built infrastructure to promote business and not line the pocket of the rich who take tax money. If anyone has seen the road of Karachi they are not safe for cars, much less for bikes.

    Once Karachi or any Pakistani city has done KEY things for safety of its people and infrastructure I will come in and talk about why the cities he picked as examples are flawed (I mean seriously , Davis, CA?!! Do you know that has ZERO Business beside being a College town where most students ride bike to class which makes sense)

  3. farrah shah Avatar
    farrah shah

    Good one!I do not understand why we need so many cars in Pakistan?Public Transport must improve.

    Cycle is an image attached to a clerk status …we need to break it…

    People die of blood pressure and high cholesterol they should come to cycle or walk …

    In Pakistan we feel little if we do not own a car and good model of car…..

    ….anyway I do not like to drive cars or bicycle …..I prefer to walk….or use public transport ….

    During my student years in Lahore I used to go by a van (public transport ) that was the only time i listened to Noor Jahan songs and Mehdie Hassan…

    I miss the tram in Karachi I believe it was suspended long time ago….

    …..In london many people are into cycling I bravo their nerve narrow roads full of stressed drivers and frustrated of 30 mph speed which sometimes comes to 20 and speed cameras and red lights …..I reach to my destination faster if I am walking or on tube….

  4. Salman Avatar
    Salman

    As a long time fanboy of aafia siddiqui, you should read

    http://tazeen-tazeen.blogspot.com/2010/01/now-aaf

  5. Nazia Avatar
    Nazia

    At the time of partition and many years after our people and specially ladies used bicycles going to colleges/offices.Our elders told us that many girls and even actress availed this facility in lahore vicinty wihout any fear.That is another story that how we declined our moral values toward independent ladies movement in our streets but slowly slowly this trend has been disappeared.

    Scooter is actually designed for ladies but in our system as usual all healthy habits have been vanished from the scene due to worst civic planning.Foot paths,rain drains, and cycle paths are found in design of old and historical town planning .But our latest urban construction ignored all under the dust of corruption.

    So corruption in this way has badly affected our traditional healthy habits and has brought unhealthy disorders in our routine life styles.

  6. K. Shahzad Avatar

    Yes very much valid point, I have seen few people who still travel to their offices via bicycles, or you will see some bicycles around but all of them mostly traveling on road sides, which is highly unsafe, specially in night where the visibility is too much low, bicycle travelers are much at risk.

    Even if you wanna have bicycle for exercise, the choices are very much low, again cycling on road will be like you wanna get hurt yourself because of on going trends on how recklessly some people drive. Also not safe at all in any case any time something can go wrong and someone can hit you.

    Your idea of separate paths for bicycles is great and must be implemented, hope someday someone starts listening and caring for these things.

  7. Joerg Avatar
    Joerg

    Dear Friends,

    I would appreciate your help giving me advice where to find a group of cyclists in Lahore. I am going to stay more than 2 years here and will take my racing bike for some practice despite of the sometimes crazy traffic. Cycling is my passion and I have done it in many countries – why not in Pakistan. Please let me know what good routes are and who to contact. Thanks in advance, see you in October,

    regards, Jörg