The josh machines
Great potential
• There is a great potential for bicycle use in Delhi where even now 40 per cent of journey distance is less than 2.5 km and more than 57 per cent is less than 5 km in length.
l Bicycle trips can take the same or less time than any motorised mode for distances upto five kilometres.
l Even now bicycle traffic is more than 30 per cent of the total traffic and can be as high as 48 per cent during peak hours on main arterial roads.
Speed breakers
• The Transportation Research and Injury Programme of the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, had prepared a Bicycle Master Plan in 1997 for the city of Delhi. Despite being presented to every new commissioner, minister of transport and Lt. Governor, it never got support from the Delhi Development Authority, Public Works Department and Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
l In 1994, only one 11 km long bicycle lane was approved on the marginal Bund road which is still under construction. Nizamuddin bridge that has a bicycle lane is dysfunctional because of inefficient design.
l The Delhi traffic police had proposed to lay bicycle lanes in 46 routes in Delhi in 1993. It has remained a non- starter.