[VIDEO] Rebuilding Pakistani Cities Around Cycles

[PetroDollars]

With western cities all becoming bike friendly and creating portions of roads for cyclelists as well as special cycle highways, which becomes more environment friendly and reduces traffic, wouldn't this be perfect for Pakistani cities.

Unlike London, in Lahore you can get from one side of the city to center quite fast, terrain is flat too and weather hot.

Also, most pakistani roads are so small and narrow, especially in mohallas and the majority of Pakistanis own and travel on motorbikes, which are noisy and polluting.

Pakistan can create lanes for cyclists and escooters, this will become a mjor success with people and reduce pollution and traffic and also most importantly reduce the import bill of the country by reducing petrol usage, also saving an arm and a leg for consumers.

 

[finalfantasy7]

With western cities all becoming bike friendly and creating portions of roads for cyclelists as well as special cycle highways, which becomes more environment friendly and reduces traffic, wouldn't this be perfect for Pakistani cities.

Unlike London, in Lahore you can get from one side of the city to center quite fast, terrain is flat too and weather hot.

Also, most pakistani roads are so small and narrow, especially in mohallas and the majority of Pakistanis own and travel on motorbikes, which are noisy and polluting.

Pakistan can create lanes for cyclists and escooters, this will become a mjor success with people and reduce pollution and traffic and also most importantly reduce the import bill of the country by reducing petrol usage, also saving an arm and a leg for consumers.

u can ride cycles here in the west - like England France Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, but even in the southern countries like Spain Portugal Italy- hotter countries they dont cycle as its too hot - even in america - how many people cycle to work,

and how many work places will install shower cubicles for its employees- in pakistan

 

[Giannis]

1. Too hot
2. Pakistan is much larger than most European countries.
3. Cycling doesn't create as much jobs and government revenue as the automotive industry does.
4. Driving a car/getting a ride in a car is far more comfortable.
5. You can't change what society sees as higher status.

There should be bike paths but it won't and shouldn't replace driving. The solution to car emissions is renewable energy.

 

[PetroDollars]

u can ride cycles here in the west - like England France Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, but even in the southern countries like Spain Portugal Italy- hotter countries they dont cycle as its too hot - even in america - how many people cycle to work,

and how many work places will install shower cubicles for its employees- in pakistan

Spain, Por, Italy were never cycle friendly, the gov. are just now putting up the infranstruchure, check the vid

as for shower cubicles, not many countries do that either, other than netherlands.

and forgot about america, there cities are not even pedestrian friendly.

1. Too hot
2. Pakistan is much larger than most European countries.
3. Cycling doesn't create as much jobs and government revenue as the automotive industry does.
4. Driving a car/getting a ride in a car is far more comfortable.
5. You can't change what society sees as higher status.

There should be bike paths but it won't and shouldn't replace driving. The solution to car emissions is renewable energy.

1. I think its better if its hot, because in PK, most cars are economical that dont have a/c and its gets worse to sit in one of them.

2. cycle lanes are not put all over the country, they are for cities and towns.

3. I don’t think no industry has created more jobs and revenue as the the drugs industry, just ask mexico or Columbia, does that mean we should do it as-well.

automotive creates extreme pollution problems, leading to health issues and we should do everything to cut it.

4. sure cars are more comforting, but cycling is more healthy.

Also it can be said its time to come of cars as western countries are due to climat4e change and the terrible effects they bring

5. You can change, its happening in europe.

Nobody is asking to change every car to cycling, what i'm saying is its time to building the cycling infranstruchure to make cycling friendly cities, so a portion of travelers would move from cars to cycle, leading to less traffic and pollution.

No one is putting a gun to your head to make you cycle, its your choice, but the infranstruchure should be there and those who take cars will automatically move to cycling as shown in europe, when the infranstruchure was build, people automatically switched to cycling.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Cycling requires a fitness culture as well as moving away from seeing it as a means of transport for the lower class. It also requires an environmentally conscious culture.

I am all for the idea. Need some creative solutions on how to implement beyond just setting up biking lanes.

 

[PetroDollars]

Cycling requires a fitness culture as well as moving away from seeing it as a means of transport for the lower class. It also requires an environmentally conscious culture.

I am all for the idea. Need some creative solutions on how to implement beyond just setting up biking lanes.

cycling lanes are obviously the first step otherwise no one will come out.

secondly around lahore in DHA and islamabad, there are already quite big cycling clubs, where rich and middle class people come togeher to cycle around, there just needs to be more media coverage and PR and it will grow to other areas.

 

[Nostalgic]

I haven't been back in 14 years now, so perhaps motor vehicles have crowded out bicycles on the roads in Pakistan, but when I was growing up, most factory workers, and students, rode their Sohrab cycles to and from work or school. Fixed gears, heavy, and an absolute torture uphill, but it was an icon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sohrab_Cycles

There would be so many of these on the roads, the scene was stereotypically reminiscent of China pre-capitalism.

 

[Bhaijaan]

In central Delhi, smartbikes are there at many points. You can pick one by unlocking through app and take it for a ride. I often take ride though the central Delhi using these. It's a lot of fun and good for health. But it's not practical yet to use them for every day work.

You have take it account the shameful thief culture too. Most cycles will just be picked up by street thieves.

 

[PetroDollars]

I haven't been back in 14 years now, so perhaps motor vehicles have crowded out bicycles on the roads in Pakistan, but when I was growing up, most factory workers, and students, rode their Sohrab cycles to and from work or school. Fixed gears, heavy, and an absolute torture uphill, but it was an icon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sohrab_Cycles

There would be so many of these on the roads, the scene was stereotypically reminiscent of China pre-capitalism.

i remember my grandad would take one of those, single gear cycles,

However, punjab is flat and lahore is almost like a pancake, so you can get away with it in some places.

 

[PetroDollars]

In central Delhi, smartbikes are there at many points. You can pick one by unlocking through app and take it for a ride. I often take ride though the central Delhi using these. It's a lot of fun and good for health. But it's not practical yet to use them for every day work.

You have take it account the shameful thief culture too. Most cycles will just be picked up by street thieves.

thief culture is terrible in London too, you cant lock your bike up for more than 2 hours otherwise its gone.

I feel it will be safer in pakistan due to the fact theres always a guard nearby.

 

[Mamoon]

The award for the most impractical idea of the year goes to....

 

[saeedhk]

Half of the country’s population i.e. women won’t be able to use these lanes due to cultural barriers. There is a taboo attached with women riding bicycles.

 

[Greenstorm]

I haven't been back in 14 years now, so perhaps motor vehicles have crowded out bicycles on the roads in Pakistan, but when I was growing up, most factory workers, and students, rode their Sohrab cycles to and from work or school. Fixed gears, heavy, and an absolute torture uphill, but it was an icon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sohrab_Cycles

There would be so many of these on the roads, the scene was stereotypically reminiscent of China pre-capitalism.

Sohrab is rarely seen in cities nowadays. Motorbikes have replaced them.

 

[Varun]

In central Delhi, smartbikes are there at many points. You can pick one by unlocking through app and take it for a ride. I often take ride though the central Delhi using these. It's a lot of fun and good for health. But it's not practical yet to use them for every day work.

You have take it account the shameful thief culture too. Most cycles will just be picked up by street thieves.

I was reading an article about this. In China, several apps have sprung up that offers these rent-a-bike services.

The tactic by competitors is to book a rival company's bicycles en-masse, load them onto a truck, drive out of town and just dump them somewhere.

 

[Nostalgic]

i remember my grandad would take one of those, single gear cycles,

However, punjab is flat and lahore is almost like a pancake, so you can get away with it in some places.

Not all of Punjab is flat. The northwestern part of the province can give you quite a leg workout on the Sohrab.

Sohrab is rarely seen in cities nowadays. Motorbikes have replaced them.

There were always plenty of motorbikes, particularly the Honda CD70 and the Yamaha 100, but there were bicycles too. Its a shame the iconic Sohrab isn't seen in the cities anymore.

 

[Savak]

Cycling is a very healthy habit and should be encouraged. Pakistani roads are also ideal for cycling as the vast majority of Pakistani urban roads are flat and very little uphill cycling.

 

[Bhaijaan]

I was reading an article about this. In China, several apps have sprung up that offers these rent-a-bike services.

The tactic by competitors is to book a rival company's bicycles en-masse, load them onto a truck, drive out of town and just dump them somewhere.

Very likely

It's been a few years for these services in India. Let's see. Time will tell how successful these start ups will be. Yulu launched electric cycles too. They are a lot of fun actually.

So far practical issue you can only take it somewhere there's a dropping point otherwise it's a bit of a liability. You park it anywhere in Delhi and leave it for 10 -15 minutes, it will be gone