How to encourage Bicycle usage in Pakistan(or/and elsewhere)?

[Azadkashmir]

Just pay some molvi to do fatwa that people need to exercise on bike or they go hell.

 

[rohailmalhi]

but govt will lose revenue it is getting by taxing petrol

But it will also be saving millions for oil payment. Making us less dependent on fuel.

I think its a great idea , improves overall populations health, improves environment and many other benefits .
The biggest hurdle in making people ride the bike is that it is not considered a status symbol. But this can be overcome by giving extensive reliefs from Govt.

 

[Cookie Monster]

Cities like Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi should introduce a bike sharing program with an accompanying app. If it works well there then it can be expanded to other cities like Faislabad, Multan, etc.

As for ppl looking down upon riding bicycles...well how about road bikes...I think they are great...but then again that's just my opinion. Others may like some other sorts of bikes.

P.S. Since this is Pakistan we r talking about, each bike should have a LoJack in case it gets stolen

 

[SBUS-CXK]

I think it should be the government's encouragement. for example, if you are a bicycle manufacturer, the government will cut taxes. In addition, other policies can help, for example, in my city, our public buses are now all free.

Looks like China has started marketing for its millions of junk bicycles.

China "sharing bicycle" system

So I don't expect a 35% illiterate country to be objective.

 

[Divergent]

I personally don’t think Pakistani roads are safe for cycling - a statistical data should be collected to see how many road accidents happen, this should alert road authorities to implement better regulated laws for road safety. Once that is established it should then be by law for motorbike users to wear protective gear and then move onto cycling. You can’t encourage cycling when roads are still unsafe.

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Shoot me some ideas, please. It's cheaper, healthier and environmenal friendly but classist people look down upon it and discourage others too :/

Have started a thread about this healthy activity earlier, you can have a look...actually it is gaining ground in Pakistan, not as an alternate to motor vehicle but as a healthy pursuit...

Time for more cycling tracks and pedestrian zones in urban areas in the cities. Many Cities in Europe has now 'no car' zones, about time it is implemented here. Check this out...



https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/cycl...d-the-margalla-hills-healthy-pursuits.520918/


@Two


Just to add, yes we can learn from China a lot...

BTW Peshawar BRTS had a planned cycling zone and cycling track all along the BRTS and with the concept of cycle sharing as well.

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/pesh...ry-most-comprehensive-brt-in-pakistan.479335/

 

[SBUS-CXK]

Have started a thread about this healthy activity earlier, you can have a look...actually it is gaining ground in Pakistan, not as an alternate to motor vehicle but as a healthy pursuit...

Time for more cycling tracks and pedestrian zones in urban areas in the cities. Many Cities in Europe has now 'no car' zones, about time it is implemented here. Check this out...



https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/cycl...d-the-margalla-hills-healthy-pursuits.520918/


@Two

Just to add, yes we can learn from China a lot...

BTW Peshawar BRTS had a planned cycling zone and cycling track all along the BRTS and with the concept of cycle sharing as well.

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/pesh...ry-most-comprehensive-brt-in-pakistan.479335/

Sorry, but Indians make unpleasant atmosphere in any thread.

 

[Mugwop]

Sir ji, imagine, you are dealing with a guy who earns Rs. 50k per month, has a 100k cell phone in pocket, drives a 2 million rupees car on CNG for a cup of Rs. 20 tea at a distance of 2 Km from home in the evening and then whines about growing tummy. These kinda show off guys consider cycling as, hmm.. lowly

You have a point there. Ego is the biggest reason they won't ride a bicycle.
I guess the only way to do it is to introduce fancy bicycles

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Sorry, but Indians make unpleasant atmosphere in any thread.

Yes agree with it...Many newer cities areas like this one of Karachi need to have cycling tracks made mandatory...enough space to add a cycle lane here. And all new development should have cycle lanes...Islamabad city is doing it somehow.

Bahria Town Karachi had a dedicated cycle track in the main road...but has to be replicated in other areas.

 

[livingdead]

its dangerous to ride bike in cities.. unless you have infrastructure... in populous countries its very expensive to maintain dedicated cycle track(imagine even 10 percent people use bike, the roads will be full).
govt should build public transport first, then tax cars more.... if you want health, better join gym than inhale fumes from exhaust of cars.. in hot sun..

 

[VCheng]

Shoot me some ideas, please. It's cheaper, healthier and environmenal friendly but classist people look down upon it and discourage others too :/

https://www.dawn.com/news/871044

 

[Cookie Monster]

its dangerous to ride bike in cities.. unless you have infrastructure... in populous countries its very expensive to maintain dedicated cycle track(imagine even 10 percent people use bike, the roads will be full).
govt should build public transport first, then tax cars more.... if you want health, better join gym than inhale fumes from exhaust of cars.. in hot sun..

It may require some initial expenses to manage bicycle traffic but over the long run it would save the country/public more money than was spent. Building bike lanes is a lot cheaper than maintaining/building roads. If a significant portion of the population chooses to use a bicycle for running any errands or going to work within 5 mile radius, this translates to that many fewer car trips on the roads. It would result in reduced traffic requiring less maintenance of the current roads and less need for building additional roads. Not to mention the savings from the overall lesser consumption of petrol/diesel. As an added bonus it would be healthier for those individuals who would often choose to bike instead of driving for short distances and it's better for the environment.

 

[livingdead]

It may require some initial expenses to manage bicycle traffic but over the long run it would save the country/public more money than was spent. Building bike lanes is a lot cheaper than maintaining/building roads. If a significant portion of the population chooses to use a bicycle for running any errands or going to work within 5 mile radius, this translates to that many fewer car trips on the roads. It would result in reduced traffic requiring less maintenance of the current roads and less need for building additional roads. Not to mention the savings from the overall lesser consumption of petrol/diesel. As an added bonus it would be healthier for those individuals who would often choose to bike instead of driving for short distances and it's better for the environment.

yes, its good for short distance... just that for hot and humid country, its not very useful mode to commute to work.
In small towns you can try, big cities have big suburban population commuting daily, if you start to build bike tracks,and if sizable people convert to become biker, you cant cycle at all. Biking looks good only if there is excellent public transport(that does heavy lifting of moving most people), and adequate tax on motor vehicles that keeps biking free. Its debatable whether such health benefit is worth the investment in prime land. As soon as you convert sizable number of motorist to cyclists you cant cycle without bumping into each other. Cycling for pleasure is fine though.
For pakistan or India, excellent public transport should be number 1 priority, which will make regular car/motorcycle journey unnecessary.

 

[Cookie Monster]

yes, its good for short distance... just that for hot and humid country, its not very useful mode to commute to work.
In small towns you can try, big cities have big suburban population commuting daily, if you start to build bike tracks,and if sizable people convert to become biker, you cant cycle at all. Biking looks good only if there is excellent public transport(that does heavy lifting of moving most people), and adequate tax on motor vehicles that keeps biking free. Its debatable whether such health benefit is worth the investment in prime land. As soon as you convert sizable number of motorist to cyclists you cant cycle without bumping into each other. Cycling for pleasure is fine though.
For pakistan or India, excellent public transport should be number 1 priority, which will make regular car/motorcycle journey unnecessary.

I never argued against good public transportation, I'm just saying that it's not as costly as ppl make it out to be. I'm in California and I've lived in many different cities here that range from relatively small(Santa Barbara) to large(Los Angeles) cities. In every one of those cities plenty of ppl bike without having dedicated paths for bicyclists like these

These kinds of paths/roads for bicyclists do exist but are far fewer than the amount of ppl who bike. Instead a more common site is that a bike lane is created right on the road(for cars and other traffic) itself

And in case a bike lane doesn't exist either a bicyclist can just go on the road. The law allows them to be treated just like a normal vehicle and though ppl do that here I understand it can be dangerous in a country like Pakistan.

In any case my main point was that there are more pros than cons to introducing biking as a viable mode of transportation for short distance commute.

 

[livingdead]

I never argued against good public transportation, I'm just saying that it's not as costly as ppl make it out to be. I'm in California and I've lived in many different cities here that range from relatively small(Santa Barbara) to large(Los Angeles) cities here. In every one of those cities plenty of ppl bike without having dedicated paths for bicyclists like these

These kinds of paths/roads for bicyclists do exist but are far fewer than the amount of ppl who bike. Instead a more common site is that a bike lane is created right on the road(for cars and other traffic) itself

And in case a bike lane doesn't exist either a bicyclist can just go on the road. The law allows them to be treated just like a normal vehicle and though ppl do that here I understand it can be dangerous in a country like Pakistan.

In any case my main point was that there are more pros than cons to introducing biking as a viable mode of transportation for short distance commute.

the roads in big cities in subcontinent are constantly gridlocked because number of vehicles surpass road bandwidth... govts need to constantly widen roads and within 1 or 2 years, its back to same.... the population is huge and public transport inadequate. Cities are more horizontal (spread across) than vertical.
you think govt will create dedicated cycle track in prime land which can carry 2 cycle side by side... what percentage of people will that benefit?
as to cyclists using main road, can you do a mental calculation? see that guy in the picture? multiply that into hundreds... its not cute anymore... because even fast moving vehicles slow down and you basically reduced the number of vehicles per second in the same surface area. not good for cities of subcontinent.
what percentage of california cycles to work? do you see the scalability issue?

cycling to work is an excellent idea for individual, horrible for city planner with finite resource... i will spend lions share on building a public transport.. and zero on dedicated cycle track.. may be once numbers stabilize and cars reduce, i would build them.