Cycling Campaigns for Yangonites?

In 2013, JICA conducted a survey called the Strategic Urban Development Plan of the Greater Yangon to access the favourable transportation mode of Yangon people. Cycling utility places second with 22.5% where the buses take first with 49.4% despite the walking option.

Years later in 2017, a City life survey was conducted by the Asia Foundation. Results are as follows in utilities; 43% bus, 24% walking, 10% cycling, and 10% car. Referred to the 2014 National Census, City Yangon has the highest number in cycling utility rates and bicycle ownership among other townships in Yangon Provision. That number goes beyond that of other states and regions in Myanmar if we compare.

The numbers seem satisfying to be a bike-friendly city. But still, Yangon needs more individuals to be encouraged to ride on bikes.

Regarding my question at the beginning of this article, I would have to respond that it is unfair to convince people towards lives with Pedals, under current conditions.

“It is risky and threatening to be on a bike” is what I have frequently heard every time I ask my fellows to ride on a bike. In another way, cheering people to ride a bike under this threatening condition is like pushing people to do some risky stunt. Yangon does not have a bike-friendly atmosphere or environment in which safety is guaranteed by basic infrastructures although it has a moderate amount of bike users. Government master plans and strategies for urban development have always been designed to prioritize cars instead of bringing the road-sharing spirits.

A well-approached strategic and sustainable policy is the first step that we must attempt to obtain, which is guaranteed safety. A researched and record-proven approach from both literature sides and case studies is needed. Yangon has different geographical, climatological factors, and urban design compared to other cities, especially European cities. The bicycle has been used mostly as a transit transportation mode in other large cities but as a direct transportation mode in Yangon. With such differences in the size of the cities, modes of transportation, and the population, we need to analyze strongly to make a model that would be compatible with Yangon and the Yangonites.

A quality-research is one of the crucial elements for this attempt. Even if you want to build a bike lane, research about the network of the routes for cycling and the conflict area between cars and bikes are required.

Let’s get back to the article question now. Cyclists and the activists should fight for the motive of “We need a safe environment to ride a bike in Yangon” instead of “Yangonites need to ride a bike”. To get the environment that the cyclists want, we have to impart awareness to the road users and push the government to create the law and infrastructure lacked for the cyclists.

The safer the environment is, the more Yangonites will pick cycling as their mode of transportation by themselves without even needing to encourage much.