Delhi Study: Protecting Cyclists Cuts Emissions Fast

Thousands of low-income workers pedaling through Delhi's dangerous streets might hold the fastest path to cutting the city's carbon footprint, according to new research published in Nature Cities.

The study by IIT Delhi and the University of Chicago researchers found something surprising. While policymakers chase electric vehicles and build scattered bike lanes in wealthy neighborhoods, they're missing the workers who already cycle every day through life-threatening traffic.

Transport accounts for nearly 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in major Indian cities. The research team surveyed cyclists on Delhi's busiest roads and discovered almost all were low-income men making long commutes, averaging 47 minutes each way.

These workers ride basic steel-frame bikes because they're the cheapest reliable way to reach their jobs. Over two-thirds can't afford mountain bikes or gear cycles, and many upgrade to motorcycles as soon as their income allows.

Here's the problem the study exposed. Delhi's existing cycle tracks are short, disconnected segments placed in better-off areas, nowhere near the working-class corridors where cycling is concentrated. Where infrastructure does exist, parked cars, street vendors, debris, and motorcycles block the paths, forcing cyclists back into high-speed traffic.

The riders aren't waiting for help. Delhi cyclists told researchers they repurpose road reflectors to make themselves visible at night. Women migrants avoid arterial roads entirely, sticking to residential streets and walking their bikes across dangerous intersections.

The Ripple Effect

Protecting these existing cyclists could trigger immediate climate and health wins. The researchers found that continuous bike networks and safe crossings on working-class routes would keep thousands of people cycling instead of switching to polluting motorcycles as their incomes rise.

Every cyclist who stays on two wheels instead of upgrading to a motorbike means one less vehicle adding to Delhi's toxic air. The public health benefits would be immediate too, reducing both pollution exposure and traffic deaths.

The study examined Delhi, Chennai, Dhaka, and Accra, finding similar patterns across cities. Policy documents assume cycling has disappeared when actually high volumes persist on specific corridors where low-income workers have no other affordable option.

Building safe routes where people already cycle costs less and works faster than waiting for electric vehicle adoption. The infrastructure mismatch isn't about building new habits but protecting the climate-friendly transportation that already exists.

The research team's message is clear: sometimes the greenest solution isn't new technology but keeping existing low-carbon commuters safe enough to keep pedaling.