Cyclists in Guwahati Fight for Survival Amid Traffic Chaos and Policy Neglect

In a city choking on exhaust fumes and gridlocked streets, the bicycle, hailed worldwide as the greenest, cheapest way to get around, remains Guwahati’s forgotten road user, ridiculed by drivers, overlooked by planners, and left to dodge death daily.

From dawn commuters on GS Road to students pedalling along Zoo Road and delivery workers threading the Beltola-Khanapara corridor, cyclists share the asphalt with trucks and SUVs but enjoy none of the rights or respect. No dedicated lanes, no traffic signals timed for two wheels, no meaningful enforcement of the few rules that exist.

One cyclist speaking about the daily issues said that cars or other motor vehicles seem not to care about the safety of cyclists.

Bikash Deka, a businessman from Downtown, said, "Every morning I pedal from Downtown to Silpukhuri, saving Rs 150 on fuel even though it takes a little bit more time to reach my destination. Cycling is healthy and yet fun. But what is hard is being stuck in traffic jams because most of the times, people do not pay attention to cyclists and them being on the road."

He added, "The moment I hit GS Road, it’s open season as scooters cut me off, buses brush my elbow, and police do not seem to care. They do not treat a person on a cycle with dignity."

"If the government can’t give us a lane, at least teach drivers that a bicycle isn’t a speed bump", he added.

Speaking on risks on the road, Ishan Parvez, an insurance advisor, said, “I cycle regularly but try to keep it to a minimum, keeping risks in my mind."

He said that recently, a speeding taxi nearly hit him. Although he survived, the taxi driver hurled abuses at him, even though the driver was coming from the wrong direction.

He added, "We need signals that don’t turn green for cars the second we enter the junction, or one day the hospital will run out of beds for cyclists.”

He added that another major issue he faces is that there are no lanes or infrastructure for cycles, despite Guwahati being a metro city.

Rishav Jain, businessman and cycle enthusiast, said that he lives in Mumbai and visits Guwahati often for business-related purposes. While he visits, he ensures to ride his cycle wherever possible, adding that the same turns into a gamble for life.

"I ride 40 km every day, from Beltola to Narengi and back, because nothing clears the mind like wind on your face. Yet every kilometre is a gamble—potholes hidden by rainwater, trucks that won’t dim their headlights, and footpaths so cluttered with hawkers that we’re forced onto the carriageway", he said.

Cyclists retort that the road’s left edge is a gauntlet of parked cars, roadside stalls, and open drains. “Ride on the extreme left and you fall into a ditch or get doored,” said Bikash.

Staying in the lane makes the cyclist a villain as people often turn out to be impatient and tend to cut off, he added.

Legally, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, barely acknowledges bicycles. Classified as non-motorised, they escape registration and licensing but also miss out on protection. Assam’s own motor vehicle rules merely advise cyclists to “keep left and not obstruct”—guidelines enforced only when convenient.

Some cyclists also say that another issue turns out at night, as many streets are dark and dangerous. Potholes lurk unseen; reflective vests and bike lights are rarities.

They say that riding at night also brings a risk of being attacked by stray dogs.

Monsoon months turn roads into obstacle courses: flooded edges erase lane markings, power outages kill visibility, and motorists speed through spray.

Safety gear? Optional under law, optional in practice. Helmets are spotted more on mannequins in cycle shops than on riders’ heads. Police occasionally slap fines under vague “dangerous riding” clauses, but enforcement is arbitrary.

Once touted as a smart-city showcase, Guwahati’s public bike-sharing scheme launched with 200 cycles and 20 docking stations—then withered from vandalism, zero maintenance, and, crucially, zero protected paths. Today, the docks gather rust.

Urban blueprints keep pouring concrete into flyovers and six-lane corridors while non-motorised transport gathers dust in footnotes.