D.A.C. Maunder

A Comparison of Cycle Use in Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad

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CYCLIST INTERVIEW RESULTS

A total of 524 male cyclists were interviewed in Delhi, 246 in Jaipur and 150 in Hyderabad. In all three cities no female was observed cycling a bicycle though many were passengers riding on the rear of the cycle or cross bar. Cycling is obviously a male perogative in India. Most cyclists interviewed tended to be in the 21-60 age group ie the active employment age group though many were aged between 15-20 years, especially in Jaipur.

Table 3 shows the occupation of cyclists interviewed in the three cities.

TABLE 3
Distribution of cyclists by occupation (percentage)

The majority of cyclists have unskilled occupations although a significant proportion in all three cities have skilled jobs. In Delhi over 85 per cent of cyclists interviewed were either skilled or unskilled, the comparative figures for Hyderabad and Jaipur being 74 and 69 per cent respectively. Very few cyclists in the professional employment categary were interviewed in Delhi, though their numbers were more significant in the other two cities. Student cyclists were only significant in Jaipur and this is probably due to the shorter distances between residence and educational institutions in the city compared to Delhi and Hyderabad. The 'other' category in Table 3 includes those who are self employed such as traders and hawkers.

TABLE 4
Income distribution of cyclists (percentages)

Table 4 shows monthly income levels of cyclists.

In all three cities the largest group of cyclists earn between Rs.201-400 a month. In Delhi 70 per cent earn less than Rs.400, in Jaipur, 61 per cent and in Hyderabad 66 per cent. In Jaipur approximately 23 per cent earn less than Rs.200 a month compared to only 13 per cent in Delhi and 10 per cent in Hyderabad. Ninety eight per cent of cyclists interviewed in Delhi earn less than Rs.600 a month compared to 82 per cent in Jaipur and 90 per cent Hyderabad. Table 3 reflects the 'skilled' and mainly 'unskilled' occupation of cyclists in the three cities. Jaipur and Hyderabad with a small, but significant percentage of professionally qualified cyclists have 9.6 per cent and 4.8 per cent earning more than Rs .800 a month. As a consequence, average monthly income of cyclists is higher in these cities than in Delhi where the average is R.337; in Jaipur it is 12 per cent higher at Rs.379 and in Hyderabad it is 16 per cent higher at Rs.391. Incomes in Delhi may also be lower than found in Jaipur and Hyderabac because three of the survey sites were located between low income resettlement areas and the commercial centre of Delhi. Hence the sample in Delhi may be biased towards these low income cyclists.

Table 5 shows the period of cycle ownership for which a respondent has owned a cycle. By definition more than one cycle could have been owned and utilised during the time periods stated. The time periods given by respondents were approximate, it being difficult for most of them to specify the precise period of ownership.

TABLE 5
Distribution of period of cycle ownership (percentage)

In all three cities the largest group of cyclists interviewed have possessed a cycle for more than 15 years. Thus, once a cycle is purchased ownership continues far many years even though the cycle may have to be replaced. More cyclists were interviewed in Delhi who have only recently owned a cycle (less than 2 years) than in Jaipur and Hyderabad. Public transport fares were increased by the DTC in February 1979 and this may have encouraged increased cycle ownership in the capital.

Respondents were asked for the age of the presently operated cycle. Table 6 shows the results.

TABLE 6
Distribution of cycle age in Jaipur and Hyderadbad (percentage)

Fifty two per cent of cycles operated in Jaipur are less than 5 years old, compared to 43 per cent in Hyderabad. Forty nine per cent of bicycles in Jaipur are between 3 and 10 years old compared to 51 per cent in Hyderabad. Most cycles in either city are therefore less than 10 years old although 17 per cent in Hyderabad are more than 15 years old. (In Delhi one respondent said his cycle frame was 25 years old though most parts had been replaced.) It would appear that cycles are replaced during the period of cycle ownership, for the average period of cycle ownership in Jaipur is 10 years whereas the age of the cycle presently operated is 6 years. Similarly in Byderabad the average cycle ownership period is reported to be 10 years whilst cycle age operated is 8 years.

In Delhi 63 per cent of cycles were newly purchased and the remaining 37 per cent were purchased as second hand models. In Byderabad similar figures are 49 per cent and 51 per cent. Table 7 shows the distribution of purchase costs whether new or second hand in the three cities of Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad.

TABLE 7
Cycle purchase cost distribution

Few cycles, even second hand, cost less than Rs.50 when purchased though 18 per cent in Delhi and 14 per cent in Hyderabad cost between Rs.51-100. Most second hand models (depending on age) cost less than Rs 200 to purchase at present day costs whereas new cycles cost more than Rs. 350. In Delhi 43 per cent cost more than Rs.301 compared to 28 per cent in Jaipur and Hyderabad. Average costs in all three cities are approximately similar ranging between Rs. 221-243. The average cost of a cycle is equivalent to 72 per cent of cyclists average monthly income in Delhi, 62 per cent in Jaipur and 56 per cent in Hyderabad. Costs are actual costs incurred when the cycle was purchased so that a new cycle purchased 3-4 years ago may have cost Rs.250-300 whereas present new model costs range from Rs.350-600.

A cycle is usually purchased when its cost has been saved over a number of months or years. However a few respondents had obtained loans from banks, employers or relatives. Others had obtained credit from the cycle dealer whilst a small number had received the cycle as either a marriage present or as part of the marriage doury. Ninety nine er cent of cycles were owned either by the respondents interviewed or by relatives or friends. The remaining one per cent of respondents hired the cycle from a dealer on a monthly or weekly basis at a cost of about Rs.2 a day.

Table 8 shows estimates of monthly repair and maintenance costs of cycles in Delhi and Hyderabad.

TABLE 8
Distribution of monthly repair and maintenance costs incurred by cycle owners (percentage)

Repairs and maintenance generally consists of tyre inflation, puncture repairs and chain link replacements. Seventy eight per cent of cyclists in Delhi and 92 per cent in Hyderabad estimate monthly repair costs of less than Rs. 16. Maintenance costs of more than Rs.15 a month are probably for older models which by virtue of age are more prone to breakdown and costly repairs. A larger percentage of owners in Delhi estimate repair costs of more than Rs. 10 than in Hyderabad. Reported average monthly repair cost in Delhi is Rs.7.6 and in Hyderabad Rs. 4. 7.

When the respondents were interviewed most were travelling for employment purposes in all three cities. In Delhi 93 per cent were travelling to their employment and in Jaipur and Hyderabad 73 per cent and 90 per cent respectively. There is bias towards 'employment' journeys because the survey hours were either between 06.30-10.30 or 07.30-11.30. The precentage of journeys for employment purposes is probably low in Jaipur for two reasons. Firstly, the survey hours were such that a larger number of cyclists were interviewed during off peak travel hours. Secondly, as shown in Table 3, a higher percentage of respondents interviewed were students. This may, of course, tie in with the off-peak interviews .

Table 9 shows how often the trip being made when interviewed is undertaken. As would be expecte frequency is dependent on journey purpose.

TABLE 9
Journey frequency distribution of cyclists (percentage)

In Delhi, 93 per cent of cyclists were making the journey daily or 5-6 days a week, a similar figure to those travelling for employment purposes. Similarly in Hyderabad 90 per cent were travelling for employment purposes and 91 per cent travel daily or 5-6 days a week. In Jaipur however, 82 per cent travel daily or 5-6 days a week but only 73 per cent said they were travelling for employment purposes. The additional 9 per cent travelling daily or 5-6 days a week (for other than work purposes) may comprise students travelling to school or college. A large number of cyclists in Jaipur (13.5 per cent) travel infrequently which is defined as less than once per week, and they may account for approximately 50 per cent of those cyclists travelling for other than employment purposes.

Cyclists estimates of journey distance and time travelling from origin to destination are shown in Tables 10 and 11.

TABLE 10
Distribution of distance travelled bv cycle (percentage)

A much larger percentage of cyclists in the smaller cities of Jaipur and Hyderabad travel less than 5 km than in Delhi. Ninety two per cent of cyclists in Jaipur and 86 per cent in Hyderabad travel less than 10 km compared to only 50 per cent in Delhi. The sprawling size of Delhi and the location of the low income resettlement areas as far as 20 kilometers from the centre account for the distances travelled in Delhi. Average distances travelled are 4.9 km in Jaipur 6.4 km in Byderabad and 10.9 km in Delhi. Distances are for single journeys so that cyclists travel this distance twice daily and generally for either 6-7 days a week.

Table 11 shows respondents estimates of time travelling between origin and destination.

TABLE 11
Distribution of cycle travel times (percentage)

In Jaipur the largest group of cyclists estimate their travelling time to be of less than 20 minutes duration. In Hyderabad 29 per cent estimate a similar time period whereas no cyclist in Delhi estimated a travel time of less than 20 minutes. Approximately 80 per cent of cyclists interviewed in Jaipur and 58 per cent in Hyderabad estimated that they travelled for less than 30 minutes compared to only 28 per cent in Delhi.

Time travelling depends on journey distance and as Table 9 showed a larger percentage of cyclists travel mere than 10 km in Delhi than in Jaipur or Hyderabad. Hence approximately 27 per cent of respondents travel for more than 60 minutes in Delhi compared to approximately 5 per cent and 11 per cent respectively in Jaipur and Hyderabad. Average times were 21.6 minutes in Jaipur, 32.9 minutes in Hyderabad and 49 minutes in Delhi. The times spent cycling a kilometre are therefore very similar in all three cities ranging from 4.4 to 5.1 minutes.

Although the cycle is an obvious inexpensive means of travel to its owner respondents were asked why they did not make use of public transport services, such as provided by conventional bus operators, for the trips they were making when interviewed. Table 12 shows the results.

TABLE 12
Reasons given by cyclists for not using public transport (percentages)

'Cost' was the major factor given in Delhi for the non use of bus services whereas in Jaipur cyclists tend to just prefer their 'own conveyance' because of convenience. In Hyderabad 'inconvenient' was the major reason given. 'Inconvenient' describes many factors such as comfort, unsuitable bus services, bus timings, distance walked to bus service stand, waiting times etc.

Although 'cost' is not the prime reason given in Jaipur and Hyderabad it does rank second in importance far the non use of public transport services. It is obviously a major factor when comparing bus fares incurred twice per day for six or seven days a week with the cost of operating and maintaining a cycle that gives service for many years.

In Delhi 'inconvenient', 'unreliable' and 'own conveyance' are important factors whereas in Jaipur 'inconvenience' and 'time consuming' are important. 'Time consuming' is of interest because such cyclists obviously think it is quicker to cycle than incur the penalty of walking and waiting for public transport services as well as the 'in bus' time. These cyclists are probably travelling short distances of less than 5 kilometres. In Hyderabad 9.8 per cent gave as a reason that 'bus services were not provided' between their home and destination and therefore, there was no opporturlity to make use of such services. No respondent in Hyderabad gave as a reason 'unreliable', 'over crowded' or 'time consuming'.

Respondents were asked to visualise how they would make the journey if their cycle was notin working order. Table 13 shows the results for Delhi and Hyderabad.

TABLE 13
Alternative transport mode preferred if cycle is not operational (percentages)

In Delhi more than 50 per cent of cyclists said they would use bus services to undertake the journey if their cycle was not operational. In Hyderabad only 17 per cent said they would use the bus as an alternative. Most (65.3 per cent) cyclists in Hyderabad suggest 'other' as did 34.3 per cent in Delhi. On closer questioning the mjaority stated quite rationally and understandably that they would get the cycle repaired and then undertake their journey. In both cities 12 per cent would walk. These respondents are presumably making relatively short distance journeys or the cost of public transport fares is too much for them to afford. The auto rickshaw, a costly public transport mode would be used by only 1.3 per cent in Delhi and by no respondent in Hyderabad. 0.4 per cent would travel by the inexpensive horse drawn tonga in Delhi, whereas in Hyderabad, where a large number of cycle rickshaws operate, 4.1 per cent said they would use the cycle rickshaw mode. In Delhi this mode, as well as the tonga, is restricted mainly to Old Delhi and therefore it is not an alternative mode for most cyclists.

In Hyderabad cyclists were asked what mode they would use on a journey when not cycling by choice (ie for non-essential trips). Table 14 shows the distribution of responses given by preferred mode. Modal choice depends, of course, on such factors as journey purpose, trip length and how many members of the family are travelling together. But generally cycle owners would use a preferred alternative mode when making non-essential trips other than by cycle.

TABLE 14
Cycle owners preferred alternative travel mode when not cyclinq by choice (Hyderabad)

It would appear that the bus service is used by the majority of respondents when choosing to travel by any mode other than a cycle. The cost of bus travel in Indian cities (though expensive in comparison to cycling) is probably the least expensive public travel mode available. A further 27 per cent of the sample of cycle owners interviewed in Hyderabad specified that they would use the cycle rickshaw mode.

Comparing Table 13 and 14 it would appear that the majority of cyclists would not switch to public transport if they were unable to use their cycle for an essential journey. For unessential, and thus less frequent, trips the majority of cyclists use public transport if they choose not to use their cycle.

Table 15 shows the distribution of monthly public transport expenditures incurred by incurred by cyclists in Hyderabad.

TABLE 15
Monthly public transport expenditures of cyclists in Hyderabad(percentage)

The majority of cyclists spend less than Rs. 15 a month on all public transport modes (including cycle rickshaws) in Hyderabad. Approximately 50 per cent spend less than Rs. 10 and a similar percentage between Rs.6-15. Average monthly expenditure on public transport modes is Rs. 12.7 which amounts to approximately 3.2 per cent of the average monthly income of cyclists interviewed in Hyderabad. With average cycle repair/maintenance costs of Rs.4.7 total monthly transport expenditure is equal to Rs. 17 4 or 4.4 per cent of average monthly income.

In comparison, passengers interviewed when travelling by bus in the cityspentan average of Rs.33 per month on public transport. This is equivalent to 7.3 per cent of their average monthly income. It seems clear that regular cyclists do not make a lot of use of public transport and that the cycle is a far cheaper travel mode.