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The humble bicycle, known as the poor man's ride in India, has come into focus after the West Bengal government banned it from some streets of Kolkata to speed up traffic.迷你倉The ban, which took effect in August, has affected 174 major and minor roads in the capital of the eastern state - where there are more bicycles than cars - leading to protests from a broad cross-section of society, from milkmen to well-off cycling enthusiasts to environmentalists.The bicycle is now also an exercise machine for the fitness-conscious middle class, and an eco-friendly way to move around for the environmentally conscious.Mr Prateek Gupta, 29, who works for an adventure equipment company in New Delhi, is among a small number of Indians who are leaving their cars at home to cycle to work. He said: "I have not touched my car for the last six months and have been cycling to work daily. It's a passion and I get a good workout cycling 25km - and it's good for the environment."Across the country, cycling clubs have sprung up in the cities. New Delhi and its satellite cities boast a dozen such clubs, all of which have been formed in the last three years. One of them, the Delhi Cyclists, started out three years ago with five members, all friends. It now has 3,500 members."We started out with just a few friends, cycling regularly to food joints, restaurants and parks. People would stop us and ask us questions like 'Why are you wearing helmets?' - an unknown concept then. Slowly, other people showed interest. It has become so big that I have now started doing commercial events," said Mr Gaurav Wadhwa, who runs a chain of high-end bicycle shops.The bicycle has also become a symbol of empowerment, with many state governments finding success in getting girls to go to school by giving them free bicycles. The scheme was started five years ago by the state government in Bihar - one of India's poorest states - for 14-year-old girls. Although government schools offer free education, it was found that girls were dropping out of school at the age of 14 because poor families did not want to spend on transport. After they were given 儲存倉ree bicycles, enrolment for girls went up four times.Bihar's success has led other states to implement similar schemes. This month, for example, the northern state of Punjab will be distributing free bicycles to more than 100,000 girls in government schools, as part of a scheme that started last year."There used to be a stereotype, that bicycles are used only by labourers. Now, different types of people are riding bicycles. There is no class thing associated with it any more," said college student Aman Puri, 20, who started the Noida Cycling Club in Uttar Pradesh state.But cycling on Indian streets, where traffic is chaotic and motorists openly flout traffic rules, can be risky. There are also hardly any cycling lanes on the roads, so most cycling enthusiasts prefer to go out at the crack of dawn or on weekends to avoid traffic."People have no respect for cyclists. I have been knocked down twice and the offenders did not even stop. That has to change," said Mr Gupta.Despite the growing enthusiasm for cycling among the affluent, bicycle sales have stagnated.Every year, 15 million bicycles are sold in India, still a high number compared with three million cars a year. A 2 per cent excise tax on bicycles after the last budget has not helped. "Bicycle sales have remained stagnant, with average growth at 2 per cent, while in the vehicle sector, the rate is 20 per cent to 25 per cent. The reason for this is, the government is not encouraging the bicycle industry and not (creating) bicycle lanes in cities and towns," said Mr Anil Khurana, editor of Indian Bicycle Ambassador magazine.The one area where manufacturers hope to see growth is in the high-end segment. While a no-frills bicycle costs just 3,000 rupees (S$60), a high-end version starts at 20,000 rupees and can cost more than 100,000 rupees.Many believe the government needs to do more to promote cycling as a green alternative in a country.Said Mr Khurana: "Kolkata has banned bicycles. If this is (the government's attitude), to discourage the use of bicycles, then we are moving away from a green alternative towards pollution."gnirmala@sph.com.sg迷你倉最平