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The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented bicycle sales in India, as more and more people try to avoid public transportation for fear of contracting the virus. But the boom could be short-lived.The telephone in Tarun Gupta’s bicycle shop has been ringing non-stop all day. As he deals with customers, a line forms outside. “Business is booming, but the rush has become mentally exhausting,” he said. Like other parts of the world, India has experienced a boom in bicycle sales during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cycling used to be considered a crazy idea in Kohima, a hilly city with narrow streets in northeast India. Nowadays, riding a bike is a fashion statement, according to the official leading local efforts to champion pedal power.Kohima is one of 25 cities pioneering a shift to green transportation in a federal cycling initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has boosted bike sales and interest in cycling in India due to public transport curbs.
Noida-based Anubha Verma took to cycling during lockdown last year. She started with her son’s bicycle to gauge if she wanted to keep at it. She started solo with a nudge from her cousin, and went on to find a cycling group that helped turn that interest into passion. After a month, she invested in her own geared bicycle and all the equipment that cyclists swear by! Hers is not a standalone case. India was never known as a cycling nation because of the potholes, traffic and most of all, pollution. Cycling was primarily a means of transport for the financially weaker section. But during lockdown, it became extremely popular among many middle and high-income groups across cities.
When one mentions cycling – the vision that first comes to our minds is a man riding a traditional ‘black cycle’ in a narrow bylane of an Indian city. But it does not represent what cycling means to a lot of Indians. For years bicycles have indeed been seen as a means of transportation. Millions of Indians, especially blue-collar workers, use mass-produced black cycles to pedal to work every day.
