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Media Dossier

Cycling is Faster than Perceived - Beats Cars in Congested Corridors

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3rd June 2025, Kolkata, West Bengal

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Details of The Event

Active mobility—comprising walking, cycling, and access to public transport—is central to creating sustainable, inclusive, and equitable cities. Yet, urban planning in India continues to favour motorised transport, often sidelining the needs of vulnerable groups such as pedestrians, cyclists, and informal sector workers. The result is rising road fatalities, exclusion, and environmental degradation.

In Kolkata, where pedestrians account for 40% of traffic deaths and cycling is banned on 71 major roads, the need for a people-centric mobility strategy is urgent. As transport emissions contribute nearly half of the city’s air pollution, solutions like cycling and walking emerge as critical tools for climate resilience, public health, and social equity.

Recognising this, SwitchON Foundation’s World Bicycle Day 2025 event brought together key stakeholders to co-develop inclusive, data-driven strategies to strengthen active mobility. With a focus on safety, infrastructure, and policy reform, the platform called for embedding cycling and walking into the city's transport planning—ensuring clean, affordable, and accessible mobility for all.