Coronavirus pandemic offers hope for cycling future

More bicycles on the streets will mean the pressure on the government to invest on cycling-friendly infrastructure including repairing potholes will grow.

One of the first things Yogendra Ranjitkar did after Nepal went into lockdown on March 24 was he dusted off his bicycle. “It had remained unused in the corner of the dark storeroom,” said the 46-year-old music teacher from Maitidevi. “I stopped riding the bicycle when I was 25. I find Kathmandu a very dangerous place for bicycle users. I never thought I would be pedalling around the city again.”