To,
Smt. Mamta Banerjee, Hon’ble Chief Minister, West Bengal
Shri Firhad Hakim, Hon’ble Transportation Minister, West Bengal
Shri Soumen Mitra, Hon’ble Police Commissioner, Kolkata
Demands:
1. Immediately lift the ban on cycles.
2. Ensure safe cycling campaigns, clear traffic signages etc.
3. Identify safe cycling corridors and create cycle and NMT lanes in the city.
4. Move away from a car centric transportation planning and incentivize cycling by making them feel a part of the system.
Why it is important:
Let’s understand why it matters to bring back cycles on Kolkata roads:
Since August 11, 2008, Kolkata Police has put major restrictions on cycling in Kolkata roads that still continue to exist creating hindrance to thousands of people who use cycling as the only means of transportation within the city.
Kolkata’s average road space is the lowest compared to other metropolitan cities and cars occupy only 6% of this space. In addition, the average commuting distance is also close to 3 km which can be easily covered by a cycle.
Cycles are not just used as the only mode of transportation by economically challenged citizens but also used as a means of transportation by professionals to commute to office, by youth and children to go to school and tuitions, and fitness enthusiasts.
SwitchON Foundation conducted a speed mapping exercise which revealed that cycles with an average speed of 14 km/hr can easily match the average vehicle speed in Kolkata. Apart from decongesting roads, cycles can also be used as a silver bullet remedy to Kolkata’s rapidly declining air quality, which is a silent killer taking away many lives. Almost 30% of Kolkata’s pollution comes from vehicular exhausts, as revealed by a 2019 Government study.
About 25 Lakh cycle trips are made in the city daily by people coming from all walks of life. Cycles can increase the income of poor families by as much as 35%, revealed a study. About 11% of Kolkata’s population rely on cycles so much that trips by cycles have outnumbered trips by cars.
Kolkata has already been ahead in the sustainable mobility race by being a part of C40 cities in green mobility. Cycles are a zero emission mode, and play a major role in enabling the livelihoods of people by providing a cost effective transport option.
Sign the petition and help this initiative to bring back cycles on Kolkata roads to make our city cyclable with clean air and to support the livelihoods of those people who are dependent on cycles.
(In association with SwitchOn Foundation)
To,
Smt. Mamta Banerjee, Hon’ble Chief Minister, West Bengal
Shri Firhad Hakim, Hon’ble Transportation Minister, West Bengal
Shri Soumen Mitra, Hon’ble Police Commissioner, Kolkata
Demands:
1. Immediately lift the ban on cycles.
2. Ensure safe cycling campaigns, clear traffic signages etc.
3. Identify safe cycling corridors and create cycle and NMT lanes in the city.
4. Move away from a car centric transportation planning and incentivize cycling by making them feel a part of the system.
Why it is important:
Let’s understand why it matters to bring back cycles on Kolkata roads:
Since August 11, 2008, Kolkata Police has put major restrictions on cycling in Kolkata roads that still continue to exist creating hindrance to thousands of people who use cycling as the only means of transportation within the city.
Kolkata’s average road space is the lowest compared to other metropolitan cities and cars occupy only 6% of this space. In addition, the average commuting distance is also close to 3 km which can be easily covered by a cycle.
Cycles are not just used as the only mode of transportation by economically challenged citizens but also used as a means of transportation by professionals to commute to office, by youth and children to go to school and tuitions, and fitness enthusiasts.
SwitchON Foundation conducted a speed mapping exercise which revealed that cycles with an average speed of 14 km/hr can easily match the average vehicle speed in Kolkata. Apart from decongesting roads, cycles can also be used as a silver bullet remedy to Kolkata’s rapidly declining air quality, which is a silent killer taking away many lives. Almost 30% of Kolkata’s pollution comes from vehicular exhausts, as revealed by a 2019 Government study.
About 25 Lakh cycle trips are made in the city daily by people coming from all walks of life. Cycles can increase the income of poor families by as much as 35%, revealed a study. About 11% of Kolkata’s population rely on cycles so much that trips by cycles have outnumbered trips by cars.
Kolkata has already been ahead in the sustainable mobility race by being a part of C40 cities in green mobility. Cycles are a zero emission mode, and play a major role in enabling the livelihoods of people by providing a cost effective transport option.
Sign the petition and help this initiative to bring back cycles on Kolkata roads to make our city cyclable with clean air and to support the livelihoods of those people who are dependent on cycles.
(In association with SwitchOn Foundation)