How bicycles, motorcycles took over the roads of Madras
This article chronicles the history of bicycles and motorcycles in Chennai, noting their early adoption and the long-standing, unfulfilled demand for dedicated cycling infrastructure. It reflects on how the role of the bicycle has shifted from a primary mode of transport to a symbol of youth and nostalgia.
Why it matters
It highlights the challenges of urban planning and the historical neglect of sustainable, non-motorized transport infrastructure.
Long before cycles came, we had the indigenous two-wheeler – the rekla , but that required an animal to pull it. When did cycles come to Madras? My guess is sometime in the 1880s. The Hindu , dated March 4, 1899, warns cyclists of stunts such as taking off their hands from the handlebars. It drew attention to three cyclists in Bombay being fined for this. One man said he had raised his hands to pray at a passing temple, the second said he was wiping perspiration from his face, and the third pleaded guilty. As it was their first offence, they were let off.
Pammal Sambanda Mudaliar writes that the Cycles Club occupied the ground floor of Suguna Vilasa Sabha till 1910. So we know that there were sufficient numbers of cyclists, at least of the English variety, in the city.
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