Monday, July 28, 2008

Bicycles Making a Big Comeback in Pakistan

Who knew that bicycles have come to be considered, "the outmoded but cost-free means of transportation" in Pakistan? Certainly not me! However, in an eye-opening article in Pakistan's Daily Times, Daud Khattak describes how high bus fares are driving Pakistan's citizenry back to "the 19th century invention [that] is considered the most efficient self-powered means of transportation."

Cyclo-commuters in Pakistan
Photo courtesy of Jawad Zakariya with some rights reserved


Will high fuel pricing stem the wave of people in India, China, Pakistan, etc. who are clamoring to buy gasoline-powered automobiles? Will bicycles become, once again, the default commuter vehicle across the world? Will electric bicycles be the compromise that keeps everyone content? No one can say with certainty at this point, but this article gives us a revealing look at the "silver lining" associated with high oil prices.

Full text here.

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