Bicycle And Transition Town

“Bicycle is one of the simplest solutions to some of the world’s most complex urban challenges.”

So what are the world’s most complex urban challenges?

There are several areas where we are facing big challenges in India’s big cities. I suppose similar challenges are faced in other countries too, but for now, I am using Hyderabad as a reference point.

1. Cities are expanding very fast. In India, the sprawling residential spaces are called ‘colonies’. In the U. S., they are called suburbia.

2. Traffic has massively increased, leading to congested roads and air pollution rising to dangerous levels.

3. The cities are facing huge water shortages. The new construction craze and deep tube wells have killed a significant number of lakes, and the water table has fallen to very dangerous levels. Hyderabad is now pumping water from three rivers which are far away – Manjira, Krishna and Godavari.

4. The waste management problem has reached a very dangerous level. We are dumping waste in the surrounding villages in ‘land fills’. Human waste is being dumped in rivers and lakes and polluting them.

5. The urban flora and fauna has been significantly killed creating the famous ‘Silent Spring’ of Rachael Carson.

6. The health and the quality of human life have deteriorated significantly. We are breathing, drinking and eating poison. Both the physical and mental health of urban people has suffered. Recreation has been reduced to consumption from electronic media and junk food.

The main cause of this crisis

The principal cause is the availability of a cheap energy source to capitalism. First it was coal, and in the 20^th century it became petroleum. The invention of converting heat into motion – ‘the heat engine’ – coupled with this easily available source of heat, took the exploitation of the earth’s resources and exploitation of labour to another level. Today, we are facing a poly crisis of global warming, ecological degradation, extreme climate events and social unrest. We have reached a tipping point where all life on earth is endangered. Several species have already become extinct.

What is the solution?

All concerned scientists and environmental groups are demanding an immediate cessation of fossil fuels usage. It may appear difficult, but we must remember: 1. the crisis is too deep and 2. These fuels being non-renewable are available in limited quantities, which will continue to decrease. So why not stop using them in usual life and reserve the remaining quantities for emergencies?

What will replace the end of the fossil fuel era?

People of the world are working on this question both in theory and practice. It will have to be based on the consumption of a much lower level of energy. A commonly cited figure is the level of 1921, when all agriculture was organic and the world population was 2 billion. A criterion of sustainability is being evolved so that future generations will have adequate resources. Renewable resources, basically agriculture, will be the main source of sustenance. There will have to be ecological restoration of the degraded Earth and society will have to be more equitable. Finally, society cannot be anthropocentric. It should have a deep respect and connection with Nature.

The phenomenon of Transition Town

Meanwhile, people all over the world are trying out several experiments based on the above principles so that working models of alternatives are ready. Transition Town is one such important movement.

Transition is a state that denotes the movement from one situation to another. Here we use it to refer to the movement from the present capitalist/industrial stage of society to an alternative stage. The terms Transition Town, Transition Initiative and Transition Model form elements of an initiative or model that have evolved as grassroots community projects. Their aim is to bolster self-sufficiency and reduce the impact of peak oil (end of all petroleum resources), climate destruction, and economic instability. This is done through re-localization strategies, especially around food production and energy usage.

These towns will have a population of not more than 5 lakhs. Most of them will be below one lakh. The cities are planned for local self-sufficiency around several Subject Areas: 1. Air 2. Water 3. Waste Management 4. Food Production 5. Energy 6. Health 7. Education 8. Housing 9. Commons and Heritage 10. Employment Generation and Entrepreneurship.

The main aim would be to gradually make the area fossil fuel-free in 10 years, and enable everyone to earn his/her livelihood solely through green jobs.

Role of the Bicycle in Transition Towns

“Bicycle is one of the simplest solutions to some of the world’s most complex urban challenges.”

Nothing illustrates this sentence more than Transition Towns, where bicycles are the main sources of transport.

First we define the cycle as a human-powered wheel-based transport. This will include cycle rickshaws, and other three-wheelers like ice cream vendors, municipal waste tricycles and 3 and 4 wheeled push carts where a lot of hawker trade goes on. We propose that the entire city’s transport be based on bicycles only. It is entirely possible if the cities are small. As an aside, we note that several machines are based on human powered wheels; by running the wheel by feet. The most famous example is of course the pedal sewing machine!

In such a city, the bicycle – human-powered wheel-based transport – can take care of all the transport issues. In some cases, animal power can also be used. These machines will not be fancy bicycles, but sturdy roadsters, locally fabricated cycle rickshaws and other 3 and 4 wheelers.

Role of Bicycle in the 10 Subject Areas

1. Air

We cannot live without air for even 3 minutes! Currently, air pollution is one of our biggest threats, and must be met on war footing. The biggest polluters of air in urban areas are fossil fuel-driven vehicles – scooters, cars, buses and trucks. Of these, cars have the highest per capita emissions. Therefore, we should immediately aim at reducing car miles and expanding the scope of public transport. We must create car-free zones and observe weekly car-free days in congested localities. On the positive side, promote bicycles, cycle rickshaws and other human-powered wheel-based transport, such as tricycles and 4 wheeled push carts. The goal is to remove the use of fossil fuels completely, as soon as possible.

2. Water

Next to air, water is the most important thing for most life. All human settlements are based near water sources – lakes, rivers and wells. In fact, the size of a human settlement until recently was based on the availability of water in the vicinity. Only the availability of cheap energy allowed cities to pump water from distant rivers. Today in most cities, every drop of water consumed involves some coal (due to electricity in pumping) and/or petrol for tanker transport. Our plan should ensure that all lakes get clean/rain water which is froth and foam-free to make lakes potable, fishable and swimmable. We must ensure that houses and roads do not get flooded during rains by capturing all rain water through rain water harvesting structures which all public and private buildings should have. And finally, to ensure that the water table in the area rises year-on-year to reach 20 feet. This will allow houses to have wells nearby where one can pull buckets of water by ropes and pulleys.

Here, the main role of the bicycle would be transport: to eliminate piped water completely as it uses so much energy unless it is done through gravity only. Bicycles and tricycles can help to transport small quantities of water – 50 to 100 litres over short distances – from lakes, rivers or public wells to residences. Even today many tricycles carry 20 litre bottles of Bisleri bottles or gas cylinders. I have seen in my childhood bullock carts carrying 18 litre tins of Narmada water to homes in Mandleshwar – a small town on the banks of Narmada.

3. Waste Management

Plastic is currently the biggest source of solid waste and we must ban single use plastic to begin with. Then, we must have segregation at source between green (Biodegradable) and red (non-biodegradable) waste, recycling of non-biodegradable waste and composting the biodegradable waste. Further, we need to ensure zero-waste management and also ensure that industrial and sewage waste does not go to the river or water bodies. Gradually, we can introduce composting latrines to save water and keep the water bodies clean. Industrial water pollutants should be treated before release. Harmful industries should be closed. Ensure that no pollutants enter the area and its lakes, from upstream or from outside the area.

Specially designed tricycles to transport waste to waste treatment areas have been extensively used. In Vellore, there is a wonderful project on zero waste management. It uses a specially designed tricycle managed by two women who collect pre-segregated waste from house to house to the recycling waste centre. There, the biodegradable waste is composted and non-biodegradable waste is further segregated, washed and cleaned, packed and sold to the recycling industry. After the initial investment, the project is self-supporting and saves the municipality a lot of money.

Garbage to Gold

Vellore’s Christian Medical College sparked a change in the city of Vellore that would develop into a stellar model for sustainable waste management. The college began an initiative on a small scale to manage waste by segregating and making use of every last “waste” product: a “zero waste movement”. Due to the success of this initiative, several other municipalities in Vellore joined in. This film takes us through Vellore’s entire waste management process, whose success was ensured by the support and participation of all the people of Vellore and their remarkable workforce.

4. Food

To reduce food miles, all food should be locally procured, except salt which may have to be imported from outside. Perishables like fruits and vegetables should be produced within the local area. Grains can be procured within the district. Promote home and rooftop vegetable gardening. Promote tree planting and fruit tree planting wherever possible. Ensure that no one goes hungry. Run free kitchens wherever needed.

Bicycles and tricycles can play a big role in transporting soil, compost, plants to local home gardens. Four wheel push carts already dominate the hawker vegetable and fruit market in most cities. In Telangana there is someone called ‘Chetlu (tree) Ramaiah who, using his bicycle, planted millions of trees and got a national award also. (12 Jul 2020 — Padmashri Daripalli Ramaiah Planted Over 1 Crore Trees To Make India Greener. Born in the village of Reddypally in Khammam district of Telangana…)

5. Energy

The main aim of the transition town movement is‘Make the area fossil fuel free in 10 years gradually and every one will earn his/her livelihood through green jobs’. Therefore, stopping the use of fossil fuels will be the biggest energy saver. As we have said, the bicycle can replace most of the cities’ transport.

For other uses of energy, do energy audits of all energy users and reduce energy (based on coal, large hydroelectric dams, nuclear and gas) use by 10 % every year. That is, aim to be off-grid by the end of 10 years. In any case, the grid may collapse by that time. In some places, solar thermal, wind or micro-hydel may be possible. Promote roof top solar energy both for heating water and for electricity.

6. Health

Urban health has deteriorated to an unprecedented level. We are breathing poison, drinking poison and eating poison. The last is mainly due to the junk food sold in packets and served in restaurants. They all are characterised by HFSS – high fat, salt and sugar. We must begin with a campaign against them and save our children. Clean air, water and healthy food are the first aims in healthcare. Then, ensure that existing government hospitals in the area are equipped with infrastructure and staff, and take up massive preventive care so that the residents are healthy. Introduce palliative care for the old and terminally ill patients. Establish hospitals ward-wise; restore the main hospital with an alternative medicine wing. Root out mosquito menace.

Every promoter of bicycles has talked about the health benefits of the cycle. Thus: ‘June 3 has been declared World Bicycle Day by the United Nations General Assembly in April 2018’. The year 2017 was the bicentenary year of the bicycle. They said, ‘Cycling is an affordable and equitable mode of transportation, leading to a longer and healthier life. Cycling has not only proven to improve physical health, but also has a positive impact on mental health and subjective well-being.’

7. Education

Education should aim to impart skills and values to ‘restore ecology through rebuilding communities and based on equity and sustainability’. Rigorously promote local languages, Hindi/Urdu and English. Combine teaching of manual skills along with mental skills. Give bicycles to all school-going students. Ensure that all schools have libraries. Also, reading rooms with newspapers in the local language, Urdu, Hindi (or other relevant languages) and English should be provided in localities/mohallas. Make neighbourhood schooling mandatory and save the time, energy and money that travelling to distant schools requires.

India produces about 18 million cycles per year. Sixty per cent of them are the old ‘Roadster’ type of cycles that are suitable for Indian villages and small towns. Some twenty-five percent are bought by the government under various schemes. One of the schemes that have caught the attention of the public is one which provides free cycles for poor government school girls. It was first started by the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh (their election symbol is cycle) around 2003 and while it is still remembered, it did not last long. The most successful programme to date appears to be from Bihar. Today, many states have followed this programme, including Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka which have reported remarkable success and have contributed significantly to girls’ education all over the country.

8. Housing

The future of buildings higher than 2 stories is uncertain as there may not be power for lifts and for pumping water. We must ensure that every resident has a basic housing facility through low-cost, environment-friendly and dignified housing. New houses should be so designed that they do not require air conditioning or fans and do not require lighting during day time.

As we have said above, fossil fuels have expanded the cities and people are living away from their workplaces. Hence there is the urban problem of pollution etc. By making the cities small, people will mainly use bicycles, cycle rickshaws, cargo tricycles etc.

9. Commons and Heritage

We must ensure that parks and playgrounds are well maintained and all citizens and children have free access to them. All Heritage Monuments should be improved by managing them locally and using them for public activity and recreation.

The town of Bidar in Karnataka is often cited as one of the best examples of preserving monuments. I lived in Bidar for 5 years during the early 90s. I found many Sufi Majars being maintained on a daily basis by individuals. Many old monuments are used by young people for recreation and study. All these places are surrounded by parked cycles. Young people go on bicycle almost every day to visit monuments and structures which are outside the town. I would say that the bicycle culture of Bidar plays an important role in these public heritage places being used and hence preserved.

10. Employment Generation and Entrepreneurship

Promote green entrepreneurship such as rain water harvesting, waste processing and composting, home gardening resources, bicycle stands and bicycle repair and maintenance shops, markets for organic and green local products, sale, maintenance and repairs of solar cookers, water heaters and solar panels, etc. As we said above, the main aim is that at the end of 10 years everyone will be earning their livelihood through green jobs.

Bicycles probably represent one of the most significant employment generators. To begin with, the demand for the bicycles will increase because there will be no fossil fuel-based transport available. Shops for bicycle sale and maintenance, local fabrication and domestic manufacture of components offer big scope for employment generation. Then, there is the scope for creating infrastructure for bicycles. Chief among them would be paid parking cycle stands. The reason is that unlike other fossil fuel-based heavy vehicles, the cycle is light and can easily be ‘lifted’ (stolen)! Schools and colleges, cinema halls, railway and bus stand all need parking facilities. These stands can also have a small bicycle maintenance shop next to them to take care of basic needs such as pumping the air, checking breaks and chain cover and oiling.