India can save Rs 1.8 trillion annually from reduced fuel costs: study

New Delhi: India can save a whopping Rs 1.8 trillion annually from reduced fuel costs, travel time savings as well as health benefits from reduced air pollution levels and increased physical activity if cycles replace use of two and four wheelers for short distance trips, a new study has concluded. This figure accounts for 1.6 per cent of India’s GDP for 2015-16.

The study ‘Economic Benefits of Cycling in India: An Economic, Environmental and Social Assessment has been conducted by TERI (The Energy & Resource Institute) backed by All India Cycle Manufacturers’ Association. The study for the first time tries to find empirical evidence of the economic benefits that can accrue if Indians start using bicycles for short distance trips instead of motorized vehicles.