Cycling as a safe transport

Ridwan Quaium Dealing with traffic congestion has been a part of daily life for the commuters in Dhaka for quite some time. According to experts, a diverse public transport system may help resolve the traffic congestions in the city. Realising the fact that there is no chance an effective diverse public transport system will be implemented in Dhaka anytime soon, some of the residents of the metropolis have come up with their own solution to the problem. No more do they have to get stuck in traffic gridlock for hours, nor do they have to wait for hours to board the ramshackle and overcrowded city buses to get to their destinations. They now commute within the city riding bicycles. Though, cycling is a very simple yet creative solution to avoid traffic congestions, there is no doubt that it was a big challenge to start cycling with a 'mission' in Dhaka, especially because of the unfriendly traffic condition for this mode of transport and the image crisis associated with bicycles. The bicycle in the past was a mode of transport that was commonly used in the small towns and by the lower and lower-middle classes. People in the city generally used their personal vehicles, city buses, rickshaws and auto-rickshaws to travel within the city. Cycling as a special transport in Dhaka, in the recent times, was introduced by Mozammel Haque, who also founded the group BDCyclists in May, 2011. BDCyclists organises bike rides, rallies, races, training, social events and provides useful information related to bicycles and cycling. Members of the group generally gather at the CafeCyclists located on Panthapath in Dhaka. It also organises the 'critical mass' on the last Friday of every month in an attempt to achieve a green environment and create awareness of a healthy lifestyle. 'Critical mass' is a self-organised event held in over 300 cities around the world. Inspired by Haque, currently there are more than 20,000 cyclists in the city. Though, cycling in a unique form started around 2011, Partho at the CafeCyclists mentioned that the number of cyclists actually rose in the city dramatically in the past 3-4 months. Haque is optimistic that the number of bicyclists will be around 25,000 by next year. Cycling has now become a craze and a matter of pride. People on bicycles wearing helmet and other safety gears have become a common site on the jammed streets of Dhaka. It is now not only limited to the younger generation; but even the middle-age, the elderly and, most importantly, girls and women are seen to be cycling in the city. Besides playing cricket, football, badminton in the golis (neighbourhood streets or alleys), children these days are also seen performing cycling stunts. Even companies are now using cycling as a theme for their commercials. One of the biggest advantages of bicycling in Dhaka probably is, compared to other metropolitan cities, the total land area of Dhaka is fairly small and the topography is flat, making it quite easy to reach any destination by a bicycle. Also the speed limit on most of the roadways in Dhaka is fairly low compared to other motorised cities, making it easy for bicyclists to travel alongside other vehicles. Another important advantage is that bicycles are now manufactured in the country, making it affordable to more people than before. A decent bicycle can be acquired at around Tk 12,000, but depending on the make and type, the price can go up to Tk 50,000. Some of the advantages that bicyclists are now enjoying include reduced travel time, reliable travel time and keeping themselves healthy. It reduces the amount of carbon footprint produced. Haque mentioned that the disadvantage of bicycling in Dhaka is that, many motorised vehicle drivers are still unaware of bicyclists and do not know how to react to bicyclists, causing a safety threat to them. Some bicyclists are seen to be riding without any helmet and reflective gears and there are bicycles without any headlight or tail-light. Also some bicyclists are seen to be violating the traffic rules and trying to compete with fast-moving vehicles, creating a nuisance as well as a serious safety issue. BDCyclists arrange several programmes throughout the country to increase the awareness of bicyclists and proper bicycling techniques. Many people have a misconception that bicyclists do not require any helmet as they may not be travelling very fast. However, head injury is a common type of injury associated with bicycle accidents, which may even be fatal. An orthopaedic, Dr. Abidur Rahman stated that the severity of head injuries to bicyclists can be reduced through the use of helmets. Just like motorcyclists, bicyclists should also wear helmets at all times. Most of the current bicyclists previously used public buses. This can have a bigger and better impact on the city's traffic, if people using personal vehicles can be shifted to bicycles. No doubt this is a tough demand, but certainly possible. The prices of bicycles are affordable to many in the city, but for some it may still be beyond reach. Moreover, some are still unsure about whether they should invest money in buying one. Many people come to Dhaka every day from outside the metropolis. For these people it is meaningless buying a bicycle. The government or other private entities may promote bicycling among these types of people by launching a 'Rent a Bicycle Programme'. To promote bicycling within the city, the government may provide 'walking and bicycling only' streets like in Bogota, Columbia. To ensure safety of bicyclists on high-speed roads, the cyclists may be segregated from motorised vehicles by a barrier. Though most of the bicyclists are riding their bicycles with proper safety gears and following the traffic rules, some of them have been found on the road without any safety gears, while some have been found to be disobeying the traffic rules and also riding aggressively and arrogantly, causing great distress to the motorists. Such arrogant and aggressive behaviour by some bicyclists may create a negative impression of them among the general public. Bicyclists have to keep that in mind and respect the traffic rules just like the motorists on the road. The benefits of the 'cycling revolution' initiated by Mozammel Haque are now only being enjoyed by the bicyclists themselves. Hopefully, when more people will start commuting by cycles, the benefits will be enjoyed by the general masses of the metropolis. The writer, a Transportation Engineer, works in Thailand. ridwanq@gmail.com