Electric vehicles are often promoted as the solution to India’s urban air pollution. However, a new study by IIT Delhi and the University of Chicago, published in Nature Cities, suggests that protecting cyclists could reduce emissions faster and more effectively than focusing only on EVs. Transport contributes nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in major Indian cities like Delhi and Chennai. Yet urban planning often ignores the millions of people who cycle every day to work.
Cycling Remains the Main Transport for Many Workers
The study shows that bicycles are essential for low-income workers. Researchers conducted surveys and street observations in Delhi, Chennai, Dhaka, and Accra. In Delhi, the average cycling trip lasts about 47 minutes. Most riders use steel-frame fixed-gear bicycles because they are inexpensive and durable. For many workers, cycling is the most reliable and affordable way to reach their jobs. As incomes rise, riders often switch to motorcycles, which increases fuel use and air pollution.
City Policies Overlook Cyclists
While policies focus on electric vehicles, flyovers, and metro systems, cycling continues to be widespread. Many city plans assume cycling has declined, creating a disconnect between official policy and real commuting patterns. Low-income workers rely on bicycles, but their needs are largely ignored in infrastructure planning.
Cycle Tracks Are Inadequate and Unsafe
Where cycle tracks exist, they are often short and disconnected. They are mostly built in wealthier neighborhoods rather than on working-class routes. Even these tracks are frequently blocked by parked cars, street vendors, debris, or motorcycles. Cyclists are pushed back into mixed traffic with fast-moving cars, buses, and trucks, making roads unsafe.
Cyclists Adapt to Dangerous Roads
Because of poor infrastructure, cyclists develop their own safety measures. Many attach reflectors or extra lights to bicycles for night visibility. Women cyclists often avoid main roads and walk their bicycles across busy crossings. Many choose residential streets instead of arterial roads to stay safe.
Protecting Cyclists Could Deliver Immediate Benefits
The study argues that supporting cyclists could provide faster climate and public health gains than waiting for widespread EV adoption. Continuous bike lanes, safe crossings, and protected intersections would reduce pollution, improve safety, and support workers who already travel without emissions. Cities that focus on cycling could see immediate results at a lower cost than major infrastructure projects.
The researchers conclude that India’s clean transport future is not only electric. It also depends on whether streets become safe for the millions who already ride bicycles every day.