Pedalling towards a cleaner capital

World Environment Day may have passed, but the questions it raises remain as relevant as ever. It offers an opportunity to reflect on how our everyday choices affect the planet and what practical steps can be taken to create a cleaner and more sustainable future. While governments across the world debate climate change, carbon emissions and sustainability, citizens can adopt one of the simplest and most effective environmental actions available to them – replacing short motorised journeys with cycling or walking.

The bicycle has long been an integral part of Indian life and continues to serve as an affordable and dependable mode of transport for millions of people. At the same time, India’s economic progress has led to rapid urbanisation, rising incomes and increasing aspirations for private vehicle ownership. As a result, travel patterns in large metropolitan cities have evolved very differently from those in smaller towns and rural areas, where traffic congestion, commuter stress and environmental impacts are generally less pronounced.

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The real crisis lies in major cities, where overcrowded roads, rising pollution, declining patience and poor traffic discipline have become commonplace. With growing prosperity and aspirations for car ownership, the number of vehicles will continue to increase, even as urban space remains limited. For a densely populated city like Delhi, public transport alone cannot solve the challenge of congestion and shrinking road space. The answer lies in adopting transport systems that are emission-free, noise-free and space-efficient. While electric vehicles can reduce emissions and noise pollution, they cannot address shrinking road space and chronic traffic jams that often obstruct even emergency vehicles such as ambulances. Adding to the challenge, Delhi is engulfed in toxic smog every winter, triggering debates over school closures, rising respiratory illnesses and growing dependence on air purifiers. Yet, once winter passes, public concern fades – only for the crisis to return with greater intensity the following year.

Delhi today faces a dual challenge: mobility and the environment. Among all contributors, the rapid growth of vehicles and traffic congestion remains one of the most visible and directly controllable sources of urban pollution. Spread over about 1,483 square kilometres, Delhi is home to more than two crore people, making it one of the most densely populated urban regions in the world. Its population continues to grow steadily, with a density exceeding 11,000 persons per square kilometre. The city already has over 1.2 crore registered vehicles, making it increasingly difficult for its limited urban space to accommodate the relentless growth of private transport, despite the construction of new roads, flyovers and tunnels.

Every morning and evening, lakhs of students, office-goers and commercial vehicles crowd Delhi’s roads simultaneously. Unsafe roads and inadequate cycling infrastructure force many commuters to rely on motor vehicles even for short trips. This synchronised movement results in severe congestion, fuel wastage, frustration, road rage, traffic violations and increased pollution. The focus, therefore, should be on reducing dependence on private motor transport during peak hours. The future of Delhi’s mobility lies in an integrated system comprising Metro rail, efficient buses, extensive cycling networks and safe pedestrian infrastructure.

In this context, cycling offers one of the most sustainable long-term solutions, being emission-free, energy efficient and supporting human-scale mobility. For much of the year, Delhi’s largely flat terrain makes it suitable for cycling, provided safe and continuous infrastructure is available. A bicycle occupies only a fraction of the road space required by a private car. In cities like Delhi, where land is increasingly scarce, few urban mobility solutions can match the efficiency of a bicycle in terms of space utilisation. Cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Paris and London have enhanced urban mobility through cycling infrastructure, pedestrian-friendly streets and limits on private vehicles, making cycling a symbol of civic progress rather than economic weakness.

Delhi now requires a similar cultural shift. Recognising the potential of non-motorised transport, the Delhi Development Authority launched the Delhi Cycle Walk project in 2020 at an estimated cost of around ₹550 crore. Envisaged as a 201-km network of dedicated cycling and pedestrian corridors to be implemented in phases, the project aimed to connect residential areas, educational institutions, business districts, public transport hubs and green spaces through safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly infrastructure. The initiative sought to encourage a significant shift towards cycling and walking, reduce vehicular congestion and improve air quality in the capital. The city has since proposed another major initiative – a 53-km Yamuna Cycle Track along both banks of the river, to be developed in phases over the next three years.

These projects demonstrate that policymakers have long recognised the role cycling can play in addressing Delhi’s mobility and environmental challenges. The issue, therefore, is not one of feasibility but of execution. While several studies and planning exercises have identified Delhi’s considerable cycling potential, progress on the ground has remained slow due to fragmented implementation, inadequate maintenance, encroachments and weak inter-agency coordination. What Delhi now needs is sustained political commitment to transform these plans into a citywide cycling culture. Even a small shift from private cars to bicycles for short-distance travel could drastically reduce congestion and pollution, with benefits extending far beyond cleaner air.

Cycling is not merely an environmental choice but a powerful form of preventive healthcare. As urban lifestyles limit exercise, cycling offers a simple, affordable way to stay fit while easing long-term healthcare costs. Crucially, cycling supports future population growth by using less space. Economically, cities like Delhi lose enormous amounts of time and fuel to traffic congestion. Reducing private vehicle use can boost productivity and well-being. It is also an energy-security measure. India imports a significant portion of its crude oil requirements. Every litre of fuel saved through reduced urban commuting contributes to lower import dependence, reduced foreign exchange outflow and greater national resilience. However, this transition will require economic adjustment. While the automobile and fuel industries remain vital to employment and growth, they must adapt by focusing on electric bicycles, compact mobility solutions, shared transport and sustainable mobility infrastructure. Energy companies can similarly shift toward cleaner transport and electrification.

Economic growth and environmental sustainability can coexist, but Delhi cannot sustain unlimited private car ownership. The city lacks the air, land and road space for it. Citizens now expect lasting reforms to curb pollution rather than seasonal emergency responses. This is an ideal time to launch a national cycling movement. Building on the Prime Minister’s call to conserve fuel, governments should promote cycling through tax incentives, rolling out more dedicated cycle tracks and reviving the existing ones, bicycle-sharing schemes, safer roads and cycle-to-work programmes. Educational institutions and workplaces should encourage short-distance non-motorised travel.

The environmental challenges confronting Delhi demand urgent and sustained action if the city is to lead India towards a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future. The bicycle once powered India’s mobility before being overshadowed by motor vehicles. Today, it offers a pathway to cleaner air, healthier citizens, reduced fuel consumption and more liveable cities. The time has come to place the bicycle back at the centre of India’s mobility revolution – not as a symbol of the past, but as a necessity for the future.