Online Desk: Megacity Dhaka is the seventh most populous city in the world and the slowest city in terms of average vehicle speed. To make life a bit faster here, you might need to find an analogue solution: bicycle.

Using cycles in Dhaka can help alleviate traffic jams and hassles. If the number of people using cycles increases, the number of users of other vehicles will voluntarily go down, easing traffic jams to some extent.

Almost 17.8 lakh motor vehicles are registered in Dhaka, as per the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), which includes private passenger cars and motorbikes. In addition, there are many unregistered vehicles, which leads to extreme traffic congestion.

Cycling is a good form of physical exercise, and as the busy schedule in this hectic city makes it difficult for people to find a little bit of time for themselves when it comes to remaining physically fit, commuting to work through cycles would serve this purpose swiftly. Cycling benefits cardiovascular health, as our stressful lifestyle might often lead to heart-related complications. It can also help someone maintain their weight to combat problems such as obesity.

A cycle costs way less than a private car or a motorbike; hence, it is a much better choice when it comes to cost efficiency. The price of a decent bicycle starts at as low as Tk 6,000 and ranges up to Tk 25,000, whereas the cost of cars and motorbikes always crosses the six-figure mark. Bicycles can also save money that would have gone for fuel and parking fees. Also, the maintenance cost of a cycle is way less than that of motorbikes and private cars. Hence, it’s a budget choice as well.

Dhaka constantly ranks among the most polluted cities in the world. However, an increase in the use of cycles can turn this situation around to a huge extent, as cycles don’t result in any emissions and are environmentally friendly, something that cannot be said about cars, motorbikes, or other vehicles that run on fuel.

Using cycles can be a step towards Dhaka’s sustainable urban development plan. Once the residents of Dhaka start cycling, there will be a chain of benefits, including less traffic jams, less pollution and well-maintained health.