Bhubaneswar: World Bicycle Day (June 3) is a timely reminder that cycling can make Bhubaneswar healthier, cooler and more equitable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), safe infrastructure for walking and cycling is also a pathway for achieving greater health equity. For the poorest urban sector, who often cannot afford private vehicles, walking and cycling can provide a form of transport while reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, diabetes, and even death.
Understanding the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle — which has been in use for two centuries — and that it is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation, fostering environmental stewardship and health, the United Nations General Assembly on April 12, 2018 decided 3rd June, that is two days ahead of World Environment Day to be observed as World Bicycle Day.
Does World Bicycle Day observance have anything to do with Bhubaneswar?
Bhubaneswar is independent India’s first planned capital city and fits the profile of a “15‑minute city” well. Within the city itself, neighbourhoods and various city quarters are easily reached by bicycle, public transportation and often by foot. Suburbs are well connected as well, with public transport, bicycle paths, buses and three‑wheel auto‑rickshaws from the central station across the city.
Suburbs Well Connected
Bhubaneswar neighbourhoods are extremely walkable, and the connectivity to suburbs especially demonstrates best practices we can draw inspiration from. The city is also diverse, liveable and rich in green space.
When I was growing up in Bhubaneswar, the city’s air was very different from what it is today. Today’s limit values for sulphur, nitrogen and dust were significantly lower than what we inhaled some three decades ago. Since the introduction of air‑quality monitoring, there have been dramatic disruptions in the air we breathe. The year 2025 recorded not a single day when Bhubaneswar met WHO “good” air‑quality standards. Despite efforts, atmospheric pollution in the city remains the biggest challenge we face, and the largest involuntary public‑health problem. It is thought that there may be almost ten times as many deaths from atmospheric pollution as there are from traffic accidents. It was this direct environmental effect on the people of Bhubaneswar that was the focus of attention. We have since learnt that exhaust fumes also mean we are adding to the already excessive levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Health & Congestion Pressures
In addition, traffic is often unpleasant and poses a real problem for the city’s wellbeing. As the population grows faster, so too does overcrowding. There are many important reasons for improving the traffic environment. We need to travel in a more resource‑efficient manner and use renewable fuels to both reduce our climate impact and improve public health.
We also need to improve accessibility to the city, and in doing so the car cannot be allowed to dominate as it does today. If more people walk, cycle and travel by public transport, everyone will have efficient and environmentally friendly access to what the city offers. Improved coordination and more effective planning can also make the movement of goods and people more efficient than it currently is.
The efforts we have made as part of local initiatives are examples of what we need to do much more of. Bicycle‑based transport: therefore cycling needs to be made more attractive, and we need to cycle and walk more; we need to stop making ridiculously short car journeys. We have electric buses, and we could incentivise electric bicycles as two essential steps towards achieving this, along with expanding the network of cycle paths.
Make Cycling Normal
When we look back in 20–25 years at how dramatically our travel habits changed, I believe we will be grateful for today’s initiatives that shifted attitudes toward travel.
Travel‑habits surveys and traffic counts are methods for knowing how and where people in Bhubaneswar travel. Measuring air pollution gives us knowledge of air quality. There is still much to do about pollution, but there is hope: more residents in Bhubaneswar will choose to walk or cycle instead of driving, at least for short journeys within 10 kilometres.
A variety of solutions have been tested in Bhubaneswar over the years to make cycling faster, safer and more enjoyable. Innovations include foot rests at traffic lights so cyclists can rest without putting their feet down, and measures to improve visibility around corners where sightlines are poor. Different types of lighting are also being trialled along routes to improve visibility in the dark. However, tools such as air pumps along cycle routes and mini service stations where cyclists can carry out simple repairs are yet to be integrated.
Integrate Infrastructure
Two new modernised railway stations are on the verge of opening in Bhubaneswar; they will hopefully include tunnels like those we often see in European cities. Once this city tunnel is complete it will encourage more cycling activity, as it will open east‑west connectivity by bicycle, reducing travel distances and connecting many neighbourhoods.
At the same time, Bhubaneswar railway station needs remodelling. That would bring more people into public transport combined with cycling; it would be a convenient way to commute. To make life easier for cyclists, Bhubaneswar should plan for integrated bicycle parking garages and public bicycle‑sharing systems alongside cycle paths.
Then the question is: if 40°C is the reason, why are cities like Bhubaneswar not investing to cool down the city? Interestingly we have two important dates coming this week to act upon — June 3rd World Bicycle Day and June 5th World Environment Day.
The bicycle is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation. Let’s celebrate World Bicycle Day on 3rd June and set the tune for World Environment Day by transforming our lifestyle.
First, make all our 5–10 km trips by bicycle by switching off electric and motor‑driven vehicles. Second, in your neighbourhood, be a volunteer to teach children about cycling. Third, set an example by staying behind a cyclist rather than overtaking. Fourth, never be ashamed to ride a bicycle. Finally, urge the government to provide cycling infrastructure and protected lanes.
Cool City With Nature
As studies show, Bhubaneswar heats up faster than its surroundings due to the urban heat island effect, where petrol and diesel vehicles, concrete and asphalt trap heat, raising temperatures and worsening heatwaves. World Bicycle Day and World Environment Day offer a chance to fix this: switch to bicycles, save trees, cut fuel-import dependence, and add waterways alongside major roads instead of widening them by chopping trees. These simple yet challenging solutions can cool streets by 5°C–7°C; a tree-lined street absorbs over 22 kg of CO₂ per year on average, making cities healthier and more liveable.
Finally, how are you coping with rising fuel costs and the heat? Bhubaneswar is melting — most people want an AC car. But there’s a simple fix: switch to bicycles, plant trees, and create water bodies to cool the city.
