Roadblocks to livelihood for 73% of Kol cyclists: Study

Kolkata: Livelihood cyclists made up for 73% of bicycle-riders in Kolkata, revealed a newly released study, prompting demands for the lifting of the prohibition on the eco-friendly two-wheelers on as many as 71 roads in the city.Bicycles, the cleanest mode of transport independent of any fossil fuel, powered 75% of Kolkata’s short trips, found the study, which pointed out that the two-wheelers were casualties, and not the cause, of the city’s traffic congestion amid the burgeoning number of automobiles on the roads. The data released by Sustainable Mobility Network (SMN) on World Bicycle Day showed a paradox in Kolkata’s urban planning: While 71 thoroughfares remained under a partial or full bicycle ban, the city continued to witness an explosion of new automobiles on streets, with figures from the four regional transport offices (RTOs) in early 2025 showing the registration of 1,00,167 new vehicles.The SMN study argued that Kolkata continued to aggressively add cars to its severely limited 6% road space, systematically pushing out cycles, the most sustainable, zero-emission transport option. For years, Kolkata Police has maintained that the prohibitions under Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 291 of the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 were necessary for road safety and traffic flow and authorities argued that cycles were incompatible with fast-moving vehicles and slowed down arterial roads, said Satanjib Gupta, Kolkata’s bicycle mayor.BtSMN’s Speed and Sustainability Mapping Study tracked key banned corridors — including the Sealdah Flyover, Ultadanga Flyover, Raja S.C. Mullick Road and the Rash Behari Connector — and found they remain heavily gridlocked during both peak and lean hours, even with bicycles entirely absent.“Congestion follows motor vehicles, not bicycles,” the report states, noting that in high-traffic zones, all vehicles slow down equally. “The evidence suggests that banning cycles has had no measurable impact on easing traffic,” said Raghu Jana of Kolkata Cycle Samaj.The bond between the city’s riders and their vehicles runs deep; 72% of respondents have been cycling for over a decade. When banned from riding, cyclists reported tangible fallout: 33% stated it made their daily commute incredibly difficult, while others noted physical tolls, remarking that their “body feels heavy” or that “something feels missing”.Despite the clear financial and environmental benefits — including zero carbon emissions and reduced public transport dependency — riding in Kolkata remains a perilous endeavour. Cyclists cited a lack of separate lanes (78%), poor road conditions (68%) and a fundamental fear of motor vehicles (58%) as their primary grievances.Encouragingly, Kolkata Police has acknowledged that the cycling bans are strictly restricted to the 71 designated thoroughfares and has expressed a willingness to revisit the scope of the restrictions based on evolving data.To transition Kolkata into a climate-resilient, inclusive mega-city, the SMN has proposed a 5-step policy roadmap drawing inspiration from global success stories like Paris, Amsterdam and Bogotá: commissioning data-driven traffic counts and before-and-after congestion studies on the 71 banned roads to see if restrictions actually yield any traffic benefits, implementing low-cost, protected cycle infrastructure on 3 to 5 high-usage corridors by 2027, separating cyclists from heavy motorists rather than excluding them entirely, integrating cycling infrastructure directly with public transit hubs, offering secure bicycle parking at metro stations, bus terminals and ferry ghats.BOXThe survey of cyclists conducted in May 2026 shatters the misconception that cycling in the city is merely a recreational pastime. For the vast majority of riders, the bicycle is a vital economic lifeline:Core Mobility: 73% of respondents use their bicycles for essential daily travel, including commuting to work (48%), running daily errands or going to the market (45%) and travelling to places of study (18%).The Demographics: The cycling population is heavily working-class, consisting of office and private-sector employees (63%), students (18%), small business owners (6%) and delivery workers or freelancers (5%).Economic Necessity: For 60% of those surveyed, the daily maintenance cost of cycling is Rs0, and 80% spend less than Rs10 per day, making it Kolkata’s most affordable transport mode.Data released by the Sustainable Mobility Network (SMN) on World Bicycle Day reveals a stark paradox in Kolkata’s urban planning: while 71 major thoroughfares remain under a strict partial or full bicycle ban, car registrations are exploding. In early 2025 alone, Kolkata’s four Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) recorded a staggering 1,00,167 new vehicle registrations.The SMN study argues that Kolkata is aggressively adding cars to its severely limited 6% road space while systematically pushing out its most sustainable, zero-emission commuters.For years, Kolkata Police has maintained that bans enacted under Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 291 of the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 are necessary for road safety and traffic flow. Authorities argue that cycles are incompatible with fast-moving traffic and slow down arterial roads, said Satanjib Gupta, Kolkata’s bicycle mayor Satanjib Gupta.However, SMN’s Speed and Sustainability Mapping Study tracked key banned corridors—including the Sealdah Flyover, Ultadanga Flyover, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, and the Rash Behari Connector—and found they remain heavily gridlocked during both peak and lean hours, even with bicycles entirely absent.“Congestion follows motor vehicles, not bicycles,” the report states, noting that in high-traffic zones, all vehicles slow down equally. “The evidence suggests that banning cycles has had no measurable impact on easing traffic,” said Raghu Jana of Kolkata Cycle Samaj.The bond between the city’s riders and their vehicles runs deep; 72% of respondents have been cycling for over a decade. When banned from riding, cyclists reported tangible fallout: 33% stated it made their daily commute incredibly difficult, while others noted physical tolls, remarking that their “body feels heavy” or that “something feels missing.”Despite the clear financial and environmental benefits—including zero carbon emissions and reduced public transport dependency—riding in Kolkata remains a perilous endeavor. Cyclists cited a lack of separate lanes (78%), poor road conditions (68%), and a fundamental fear of motor vehicles (58%) as their primary grievances.Encouragingly, Kolkata Police has acknowledged that the cycling bans are strictly restricted to the 71 designated thoroughfares and has expressed a willingness to revisit the scope of the restrictions based on evolving data.To transition Kolkata into a climate-resilient, inclusive mega-city, the SMN has proposed a 5-step policy roadmap drawing inspiration from global success stories like Paris, Amsterdam, and Bogotá: commissioning data-driven traffic counts and before-and-after congestion studies on the 71 banned roads to see if restrictions actually yield any traffic benefits, implementing low-cost, protected cycle infrastructure on 3 to 5 high-usage corridors by 2027, separating cyclists from heavy motorists rather than excluding them entirely, integrating cycling infrastructure directly with public transit hubs, offering secure bicycle parking at metro stations, bus terminals, and ferry ghats.BOXThe survey of cyclists conducted in May 2026, shatters the misconception that cycling in the city is merely a recreational pastime. For the vast majority of riders, the bicycle is a vital economic lifeline:Core Mobility: 73% of respondents use their bicycles for essential daily travel, including commuting to work (48%), running daily errands or going to the market (45%), and traveling to places of study (18%).The Demographics: The cycling population is heavily working-class, consisting of office and private-sector employees (63%), students (18%), small business owners (6%), and delivery workers or freelancers (5%).Economic Necessity: For 60% of those surveyed, the daily maintenance cost of cycling is Rs0, and 80% spend less than Rs10 per day, making it Kolkata’s most affordable transport mode.