Cycling for short distance trips can yield an annual benefit of ₹1.8 trillion to the economy, and cycling regularly for an average distance of 3.5 km for just 120 days can help avoid 4,756 premature deaths, says an analysis by The Energy Resources Institute (Teri).

Even though cycle sales have risen only 1% in a decade — as opposed to a 9% rise in cars and two wheelers — 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, according to findings from the 2011 Census and which were used in the study to analyse cycling trends in India.

“A significant number of people who must travel great distances may be compelled to bicycle to work because they can’t afford alternatives,” said Megha Kumar, one of the researchers involved in the study. 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 ₹27 billion from fuel expenditure and 0.35 Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (MTOE) in terms of energy, the researchers calculated.

The report, which was funded by the All India Cycle Manufacturers Association, argued that the government should reduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) on cycles that cost less than ₹5,000; promote manufacturing of bicycles because it absorbs unskilled labour, and “discourage” personal motorised vehicles through congestion charges, increased cost of parking, and a “pollution tax.”

At present, the cheapest bicycle available in India costs around ₹2,500-₹5,000, which accounts for 15% of the annual per capita income in rural areas. In comparison, the cheapest bicycle in China accounts for only 2.5% of the annual per capita income in rural areas, the report noted.

However with a lack of dedicated cycling lanes, as well as poorly maintained roads, in several cities, cycling is fraught with danger in India. A report by the Transport Research Wing (TRW) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways says that from 2011-015, 25,435 cyclists have been killed.