If you are driving through the streets of urban areas in Pakistan, chances are you will see many cyclists with safety gear on, cycling on one side of the road especially at night. But had you visited the same streets a year ago, you would have seen little to no cyclists so what has changed over the past year prompting a rapid increase in cycling?
Pakistan has one of the highest rates of obesity in South Asia which has meant that up to 29% of all deaths in Pakistan result from some form of cardiovascular or heart disease. There is a major obesity problem in Pakistan which has been left unaddressed for many years, and it is putting undue pressure on the Pakistani healthcare system. Cases of high blood pressure, diabetes and strokes have slowly risen since the 1980s and much of it can be blamed on the obesity epidemic in Pakistan – WHO estimates that about 40% of Pakistanis are obese and close to 50% may be overweight.
Health professionals have identified many solutions for this health crisis in Pakistan and one of them is cycling. Cycling is usually touted as one of the best exercises for your joints especially the knees and hips, and stationary cycling is often advised to patients of arthritis as cycling is a low-impact exercise. Cycling has an array of other benefits including improved blood circulation to the heart, a stimulated respiratory system, and reduced risks of heart or cardiovascular disease. Consequently, doctors in Pakistan have started to heavily advocate cycling as an exercise for patients suffering from obesity.
The rise of WhatsApp and Facebook has meant that creating a group for any objective and connecting with others to join an activity has become much easier. One activity that benefits from this heavily is cycling. Over the past couple of years, many large WhatsApp and Facebook groups have been created for cycling enthusiasts allowing them to chat with each other and decide on when to cycle and which routes to follow. The perceived benefits of cycling in groups are greater too as safety instructions like an incoming car can be communicated, air resistance can be reduced by creating a group cycling formation and the competitive nature of these groups can quickly help cyclists increase their average speeds. Many of these cycling groups are also social groups meaning they are a way to meet and chat with new people in your area, so they are a good way to socialise too.
The Planning and Development Department of Punjab has found that a reduction in cycle prices of Rs800 would increase the sale of cycles by 600,000 per year in Pakistan. The Department has been pushing bicycle manufacturers and retailers to reduce their prices, but prices have – in fact – gone up due to inflation. But at the same time, the number of bicycle retailers and shops have increased over the past few years and now, more cycles are available than ever in Pakistan. The Anarkali Market in Lahore is a big one for bicycles and over the last couple of years, the range and amount of cycles available has increased significantly. Jalal Rehman who is a shopkeeper of a cycle shop in Anarkali spoke on the recent boom in the cycling business,
“We are selling double the amount of cycles and gear we sold three years ago”.
The Lahore native who has worked in several different cycling shops around Lahore had this to say regarding the future of cycling,
“Well COVID-19 has restricted our business, but we are still selling many cycles through home delivery. We have more demand because of COVID-19, but we cannot sell as many cycles as before COVID-19 because our shop has been closed for a few weeks”.
In various other areas of Lahore and more developed areas of Karachi, you will find several cycling shops that offer high-end cycles which are often imported. The demand for imported cycles in Pakistan is massive too, since they are of much higher quality than locally produced cycles. Locally produced cycles are as cheap as Rs4000 to Rs6000, but their maximum speed is limited, and they are not as comfortable for leisure cycling. Sohrab cycles (Pakistani-produced cycles) are targeted towards daily labourers and the working class as the bicycles are cheap, good for health and allow people to cycle between their home and working locations with ease. However, bicycle retailers in Pakistan are getting innovative as many of them open a bicycle workshop whereby they purchase these cheap Sohrab cycles and modify them to become suitable for leisure biking. The cheap cost of Sohrab cycles and relatively low cost of modification have meant that leisure bikes as cheap as Rs15,000 to Rs25,000 can now be purchased.
COVID-19 has caused businesses, parks, and most other public places to shut down, so most families are now obeying stay-at-home orders. This has resulted in an increased amount of free and family time for many people, so families are opting to do other activities together. Badminton, cycling, and walking have all become popular exercises as you can perform them while maintaining a social distance of 2 metres. We spoke to a worker at Rainbow Grocery Store who had this to say regarding the increase of sports equipment sale, “Demand for badminton equipment has shot up the most, as we run out of badminton equipment stock within a few days”. He further stated, “Previously, expensive badminton rackets would barely sell but even those are now being sold quickly”. Along with an increased interest in badminton, cycling has soared as a sport during COVID-19. Families can be seen cycling together at night under the cool weather, and sometimes even cycling races are observed on wide, empty roads.
With climate change becoming a more important issue day by day and awareness regarding it increasing in Pakistan, many more people are opting for cycling in the hopes that one day they may begin to use their bicycle for all travelling activities. People want to help stop climate change, hence shifting from electric means of transport to cycling may be one of many ways to do so. A 2015 study by the Institute of Transport found that a dramatic shift from cars or motorbikes to bicycles could cut carbon emissions by 20%. The value and significance of cycling in reducing our carbon footprint is massive and Pakistani people realise that.
Furthermore, women rights movements have been a hot topic of discussion in Pakistan and some women in big cities of Pakistan have decided to take more initiatives. One of these initiatives is creating a cycling culture for women in Pakistan, as traditionally cycling is considered an odd activity for women. A female cyclist in Lahore told Crux, “We are trying to break social barriers so that more women can have freedom. We want women to feel safe doing what they like, and I know many women want to cycle”. In regards to the reception female cyclists receive, she said, “A few people, both men and women, do bat and roll their eyes or stare at us like we are crazy, but it has improved a lot since when I started cycling two years ago”. Cycling is becoming a symbol of freedom, independence and mobility for many urban women in Pakistan and they are hoping that it has an impact for women all over the country including those in more rural and conservative areas.
Although cycling is on the rise in Pakistan, there are still many steps that need to be taken for it to become a norm of transportation. Many cyclists in Pakistan voice concerns over their safety, as reckless motorbike and car drivers break several traffic and road laws including speed limits. The Khan Government has tried to address this by installing CCTV cameras at traffic stops, placing speed cameras in several areas of metropolitan cities, and introducing fines for violations of traffic and road laws. Still, the introduction of improved road security and law regulation is recent, and it may take a few years for the system to be completely enforced. Other concerns cyclists report about are a lack of cycling lanes in Pakistan. If you visit more developed countries where cycling is common such as Amsterdam in Netherlands, you will find that cyclists have their own lanes for cycling. This is something that is completely lacking in Pakistan. Cyclists need to have their own lanes to ensure their safety from other vehicles, and since the average and max speed of bicycles is lower than that of cars or motorcycles. Cycling lanes are not only important for cyclists but also for drivers, as cycling lanes can substantially reduce road accidents. Further actions that need to be taken include placement of cycling traffic signs and creating safe cycling routes for mass use.
Cycling is still in its early stages in Pakistan and even though it is growing rapidly, it will take many years and decades worth of efforts by both cycling groups and advocates, as well as local governments for cycling to replace electric vehicles as a means of transportation. Infrastructure to make road cycling safe needs to be introduced, as not only will it ensure the safety of cyclists, but it will also raise awareness of cycling within Pakistan.
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