Bicycles Disappearing From Asia

Researchers in Asia are warning that unless governments start to make their urban planning policies more bicycle-friendly, bikes could virtually disappear from the urban environment within a decade.

November 18, 2008, 11am PST | Nate Berg

"It is likely bicycles will have disappeared from China's and India's streets within the next decade, unless governments of the world's two most populous countries make a U-turn in their transportation policies."

"A joint study by the Netherlands-based Interface for Cycling Expertise (I-CE) and Indian-based Transport Research and Injury Prevention Program (TRIPP) was conducted in China, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to measure each government's attitude to cyclists."

"'Today, China and India still have a lot of bikes but we are not sure if they will exist in the next five or 10 years as the governments' policies are not bicycle-friendly,' I-CE resident representative in India, Anvita Arora, said during the Better Air Quality workshop here Tuesday."

"In India alone, the study -- covering 19 of the country's medium and large cities -- showed a sharp decline in bicycle journeys over the past two decades."

"'The major shortcoming of almost all development proposals in Indian cities is that the bicycle tracks have not been planned as an integral part of the road networks.'"

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Bicycles could disappear from Asia, experts warn

Published on Thursday, November 13, 2008 in The Jakarta Post