NEW DELHI: In 1957, more than 35% of Delhiites commuted on bicycles. Fifty years later, the ‘modal share’ of cycling in the city’s transport had reduced to about 4% and—given the rapid increase in private vehicle ownership—is likely to have dipped further by now.Cyclists have gradually disappeared with motorized transport eating into the little space they had, and the city has not created new infrastructure or space to help them adapt to these changes, says a report by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), entitled Pedalling Towards a Greener India that was released on Wednesday. The report analyses trends in cycling and cycle ownership using government data.While cycling’s share in public transport has diminished across the developing world, the fall has been precipitous in India. In Chinese cities, cycling’s share in transport still ranges from 11% to 47%. In Beijing, for instance, cycling’s share fell from 38.5% in 2000 to 16.4% in 2010.Two decades ago, a third of commuting in 80 Indian cities was done on bicycles, but by 2007 this average had fallen to 12%, and the report says it is likely to drop further “given that Indian cities are not taking any significant initiatives to create a safe cycling environment”.Although bicycle ownership has increased in cities, it has not kept pace with the increase in households. Where 46% of Indian households owned bicycles in 2001, in 2011 the number reduced to 42%. Even in rural areas, where cycling is the only cheap mobility option, cycle ownership is limited to 46% compared to almost 100% in rural China. In contrast, the yearly increase in car ownership between 2001 and 2011 was 15% in urban areas compared with 3% for cycles.Surprisingly, one of the reasons for the low ownership is that bicycles are not affordable anymore, according to the TERI study. Focus group discussions in five villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and a survey of 1,200 cyclists in six cities—Meerut, Jhansi, Jaipur, Surat, Bangalore and Delhi—by TERI revealed that low-income households find it extremely difficult to buy a cycle. TERI has recommended that the government waive off taxes on cycles that cost less than Rs 5,000. It has also suggested priority loans for buying cycles and distribution of free cycles to students.Cycle sharing, which has caught on in many European cities, is now available in Delhi and Bangalore. The TERI report points out that Chinese cities have popularized cycling by implementing large sharing schemes. Those in Wuhan and Hangzhou are among the largest in the world. R K Pachauri, director general, TERI said the Netherlands has managed to slash its health budget by promoting cycling.Harsh Vardhan, Union minister for health and family welfare, said, “If cycling is adopted, it will ensure that every bit of extra fat is burnt”. He added this will reduce the country’s disease burden of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes etc. “I promise I’ll personally write to the surface transport ministry and the urban development ministry so that whatever is required is done,” he said.