June 3 was World Bicycle Day
04 June, 2026 – Amritsar : With fuel prices rising due to the West Asia crisis, neither the government nor social groups are promoting cycles as a means of daily transportation.
The United Nations General Assembly celebrates June 3 as an International World Bicycle Day to recognise the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle, which is an affordable, environmentally fit, sustainable means of transportation.
However, many commuters do not use cycles for daily transportation as roads across Punjab lack safety for cyclists. In many cities, there are no special lanes for safe cycling. In some instances, even in those places where such lanes exist, these lie encroached.
Cycling tracks created with investment worth crores are either lying useless or underutilised. In Amritsar, cycling tracks created in upscale localities on Circular Road and Ranjit Avenue are used least.
In Jalandhar, a cycling track project proposed in 2016 is yet to see the light of day. The plan in this regard was floated by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust along the 120-foot road at Surya Enclave Extension. A dedicated 1.5-km track with 12-foot width was planned to be built on both sides of the road, but there has been no progress on the project.
In 2020, a 52-km cycling track was proposed for Jalandhar under the Smart City project. A 26-km double-side route was planned for the project along 66-foot road, 120-foot road, Skylark Chowk to Model Town and Surya Enclave locality roads, but this project remains a non-starter.
In Ludhiana, a cycling track was built on Malhar Road some years back. It was never used for cycling but for parking vehicles. Another cycling track along the Sidhwan canal was proposed from Dugri Road to South City, but it is yet to see the light of day.
Chandigarh stands as a good example of popularising cycling by creating required infrastructure. Under the Smart City mission, safe and dedicated cycle tracks have been created here.
Dr Kiran Sandhu, associate professor of Sri Ram Das School of Planning, Guru Nanak Dev University, said most of the tracks were set up for recreational purposes, not for daily commute.
In European countries, cycling has made a comeback, but there is no sincere effort in India. In some European countries, special cycling highways are being created to facilitate inter-urban mobility.
Mandeep Singh, a cycle seller, said a major segment of buyers were labourers, children and teenagers. While children opted for colourful cycles, workers chose black cycles.
According to the figures shared by the All India Cycle Manufacturers Association, in 2025-2026, India produced 16 million bicycles. This manufacturing scale yielded a positive trade balance, with exports reaching Rs 4,500 crore and imports standing at Rs 1,400 crore. Of the total production, 90 per cent is in Ludhiana, as the city has nearly 5,000 units producing cycles and cycle parts.
Ludhiana exports sleek alloy, titanium and carbon-fibre gear cycles to Europe, America, Africa and West Asia.
The Tribune