A silent revolution: Rapid rise of cycling to school in rural India

Cycling to school improves access to education for children, provides them physical activity benefits, and gives them independence in mobility. There is a poor understanding of the levels of cycling to school, who cycles, and how these behaviours have changed over time in India. We address this major research gap using data from the three rounds, covering a decade (2007, 2014, and 2017), of a population-representative nationwide education survey of a sample of households in India. The dataset reported the mode of transport to school. We conducted national and sub-national (35 states of India) exploratory analyses of longitudinal changes in cycling to school by trip distance, age and gender, and urban and rural residence, for school-going children aged 5–17 years. We developed logistic regression models to understand the associations of these characteristics on cycling use and how they vary over time. We also gathered information on bicycle distribution schemes (BDS) implemented in multiple Indian states, under which school-going children are provided free bicycles by the government, and tested the impact of such schemes on cycling levels. Nationally, cycling to school levels increased from 6.6% to 11.2% over the decade (2007 to 2017). These levels nearly doubled in rural India (6.3% to 12.3%) while remaining stable (7.8% to 8.3%) in urban areas. Among the four population sub-groups (rural/urban x female/male), the largest increase in cycling was among girls in rural areas. Nationally, the gender gap in cycling reduced in rural areas through an increase in cycling among girls and, in urban areas, through a reduction of cycling among boys. In rural areas, cycling increased across all distance ranges, except for >5 km where it reduced, and in urban areas, cycling reduced the most for >3 km. We found strong evidence that BDS helped increase cycling levels in states where it was implemented and their greatest impact was for cycling among rural girls. Gender norms, affordability of bicycles, distance to school, and safety on roads are likely the major determinants of cycling to school in India.