POST Lockdown : Cycle, A physically distanced and Sustainable single-person transport

Cycling can be safest and healthiest option for H2O-O2H commute and short distance travel post lockdown in Pune.

We all are aware, the COVID-19 virus is a sleeping volcano and challenging to keep ourselves safe and healthy post lockdown. In this challenging scenario the local body and authority like local civic body, Municipal Councils and Commissioner of traffic Police should plan to encourage the cycling in the city on permanent basis. Yes, you read it right on lasting basis.

To accommodate this change streets can made busier with bikes, as well as can facilitate social distancing. There must be a dedicated cycling lane on each smallest and biggest route in the city. This is the time we can encourage and make people habitual to use the cycle and make them dependent on cycle like most of the world regions already doing. Amsterdam, Dublin, Berlin, Budapest, London and so many cities adapted before. Keeping in mind, while enforcing or so called encouraging for cycling, the basic infra must be made available like parking, docking stations and routes.

Cities that locked this moment can make it easier for people to walk, bike and take public transport to prosper after this pandemic and not simply recover from it with same mistakes. We don’t want people to shift to the same polluting transport and to avoid so, we must plan in good way to make the facility available in minimum time and citizens will love to use the same. There is no doubt that after lockdown we must need to continue the social distancing and don’t think the share transport like OLA, UBER and hired cabs will the feasible and safe options to use.

Being a non-metro (as our city has passed all tests and limits of being Metro) city, all the local corporators and ward in charges will help to form the lanes and the micromanagement. Somewhere we must take the decision to correct the mistakes would have been corrected earlier. Planning the cycling lane and parking facility can be discussed area wise with the local corporators as they are very aware about their individual area and can contribute along with some volunteers and local civic body. Some places like existing local amusement parks, gardens, schools, colleges, big hospitals, malls, theaters, bus and train stations can be a part of the parking stations and can be permanently equipped with cycle lanes and banned to drive on streets nearby to Private cars. Pop-up bike lanes can be planned in the city. I know there were many attempts done before and not fruitful but those were optional or were not mandatory. 

We know making the infrastructure is not an easy task where the funds are always a big bottle necking and biggest challenge. In such cases big corporate company and donors will come forward to donate the cycles and docking stations to make the things easy to the planning and controlling authorities. 

This is the best opportunity to the government, corporate, NGO’s and to every single individual who willing to make this mother earth healthy and clean to live. We must adopt the RTP (Reverse Transport Pyramid or Reverse Traffic Pyramid) popularized by one of the bicycle labs in Denmark in 2011.

The aim of the pyramid is to suggest an approach towards an active travel in city and urban locations to prioritize appropriately and aims to decrease the congestion and pollution of a car-centric city. In the pyramid, walking and cycling is prioritized above other modes due to the wide-ranging health, economic, environmental and cost benefits and a Socio-Physical distance transport model post lockdown.

This might be the most important blog post I write on cycling, – but it’s also been one of the most difficult but not impossible. I would like to witness the death of the cars with the decreased numbers of cars on road in near future. I would like to see, how to look at a quiet Pune residential street, and to see what there isn’t – and to be amazed by that. Obviously, that’s not an easy thing to do.

Nowadays in lockdown, most of us are experiencing peaceful environment, chirping birds and most important sudden drop in emissions of carbon dioxide, pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter. Also experiencing the deep in crude oil prices. Some cities have temporarily turned emptier streets into walking and cycling-only zones to enable socially distanced exercise.

Meanwhile while writing this, came to know that Milan – the epicenter of Italy’s coronavirus outbreak – announced it would transform 35 km (21.7 miles) of its streets for cycling post-lockdown. Could this a global emergency, catalyze an ongoing movement towards cleaner air? Might Milan’s scheme may form a blueprint for cities that have repeatedly tried to tackle the domination of the cars and motorbikes? especially Pune. Governments from New Zealand to Scotland have made funding available for temporary cycle lanes and walkways in the pandemic.In Brussels, the entire city core became a priority zone for cyclists and pedestrians from starting of May for the foreseeable future. Also, temporary street closures to cars have taken place in Dublin, Brighton, Bogota, Cologne, Vancouver and Sydney as well as multiple US cities including Boston, Denver and Oakland. In England, restrictions lifted to enable and encourage councils to more quickly close streets to cars.

Let’s hope for the best. Make the challenge easier. I’ve spared my time to write this, please spare your time to think about the health, environment and safety.

 Throughout this article I’m encouraging you to use cycle as the safest and healthiest transport for better and quite living. Try to do this for real – I’m going to make big claims. Don’t just trust me – you can try this out yourself and imagine how the city will be – and agree or argue that I’m wrong if you like…. You are free to comment below.

Hope always brings happiness, Let’s hope for the best.

The most important, Keep Cycling and Stay healthy stay safe....Don't forget not now POST LOCKDOWN.

©another #happygolucky