Login With Google
Cycling benefits economy: study
Why is it in the news?
- As per an analysis by The Energy Resources Institute (Teri), cycling for short distance trips can yield an annual benefit of Rs.1.8 trillion to the economy.
- Also, cycling regularly for an average distance of 3.5 km for just 120 days can help avoid 4,756 premature deaths.
More in the news
Analysis of the Study:
- Cycle sales have risen only 1% in a decade- as opposed to a 9% rise in cars and two-wheelers.
- However, cyclists in cities constitute nearly 40% of those who travel more than 21 km for work.
- That’s around the same as those who commute a similar distance by car, says findings from the 2011 Census, which were used in the study to analyse cycling trends in India.
- A significant number of people may be compelled to bicycle to work because they can’t afford alternatives.
- More than half of India uses “non-motorised” forms of transport, such as walking and cycling, to travel to work, followed by two-wheelers (18%) and buses (16%), the report notes.
- Substituting just half the short distance work trips, which are typically undertaken by two-wheelers and cars, with cycles, could result in massive savings about Rs.27 billion from fuel expenditure.
- The report demands government to:(1) Reduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) on cycles that cost less than Rs.5,000.(2) Promote manufacturing of bicycles.(3) Discourage personal motorised vehicles through congestion charges and increase pollution tax.
Source
The Hindu.