[sustran] Re: City Bikes in developing world cities

[Walter Hook]

In delhi, itdp India has started some regular bicycle promotion rides and
heritage rides.  It is a start.  It is not so hard to do, and they are
getting some good press. Perhaps you could just form a Bangalore cycling
club and get started meeting every Sunday or something.  A group of riders
is safer than going it alone, and maybe the city police would support by
providing a police traffic cell initially.  Maybe you can convince city
authorities to close some popular streets on Sundays.  

There are good bike facilities planned for the new High capacity bus
corridor in Delhi designed by IIT TRIPP, with some input from us, and the
Ahmedabad BRT also should have good bike facilities along it.  Not sure how
well they will work in the Indian context where obstacles from poor pavement
maintenance, vendors, building materials lying around etc. are a real
nuisance.  Things that work in Holland may not work well in Indian
conditions.  We are going to need to experiment with a few alternatives,
like median bikeways, bike lanes between the busways and the mixed traffic
lanes, traffic calmed service roads that allow through traffic for bikes
only, bike lanes between better regulated parked vehicles and sidewalks, and
regular European style bike lanes, to see what works.  We just are not sure
yet.  Delhi HSBC and Ahmedabad BRTS should open later this year, so we will
have something to look at.

Walter 

-----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+whook=itdp.org at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf
Of eric.britton
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 2:23 AM
To: WorldCityBike at yahoogroups.com
Cc: Sustran Resource Centre
Subject: [sustran] City Bikes in developing world cities

Dear Sir,

 

I am Sudhir, a researcher on sustainability issues from India. I have been
following the mails in world city bike forum.

 

I would like to indicate the issue pertaining to cyclists in developing
countries like India. We don't have any infrastructure like cycletracks in
cities like Bangalore.

 

Let us consider the Bangalore Case.

*	As per my estimate  Bangalore loses out nearly 208 million Rs per
day due to congestion.
*	Cycling as a mode of transport is virtually non existent in
Bangalore (less than 2%). 
*	Bangalore has nearly 477853 cycles which contribute only 15%
operational trips.
*	We don't have promoters of cycling mode and thus no public outcry.
*	We even don't have proper design code for the Cycle Tracks (only
code available is IRC-11-1962)

 Sir, can we also concentrate upon developing countries in order to gain
momentum.

 

With Kind Regards

 

Sudhir
Project Engineer,
Highways Div. 
SECON Pvt Ltd. 
147, 7B Road, EPIP, 
Whitefield, Bangalore 560066 
Ph: 080-41197778 (413)

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