Adoption of Dutch Cycling Practices in The National Capital Region of India by Using Technological Innovation Systems Framework

Abstract

Cycling is a type of recreational activity that is rarely utilized for everyday travel needs except in some countries such as the Netherlands. Health can be improved as a result of increased mobility, and by encouraging people to use public transit or cycles instead of their automobiles, traffic jams, and pollution may be reduced. The adoption of cycling in a populated and vast area like India's capital region will benefit the nation from the perspective of the economy and combating global warming. The research gap identified is that The National Capital Region of India is currently experiencing similar challenges as the Netherlands did years ago like road accidents, high traffic, and air pollution. It is crucial to pinpoint the requisite factors affecting the region's transportation preferences and the existing literature does not focus on the relevant issues from the perspective of relevant stakeholders or how these stakeholders have varied objectives when it comes to the adoption and expansion of the different modes of transportation. To investigate this, the Dutch cycling practices were chosen because the Netherlands is regarded as the best country in the world to cycle.

This leads to the research question of the thesis and that is 'What can the National Capital Region of India learn from the Dutch cycling practices with the participation of key stakeholders?'. 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Dutch and Indian experts to collect relevant data. The Technological Innovation Systems (TIS) framework is used as the theoretical perspective in the thesis to analyze the data collected from the interviews and answer the research questions. The cycling success of Amsterdam and Copenhagen also helped in providing a conclusion and the results from the interviews are compared to see what India lacks when compared to the Netherlands with regard to the functions and structural dimensions of Technological Innovation Systems.

There were practical and meaningful insights from the findings of the research. The key ones which the Indian stakeholders can adopt are early learning for children, spreading awareness among people about cycling and its benefits, and political commitment. These factors mark the starting point for change and give the correct direction to the stakeholders to implement this change. It is imperative for children to learn about green transportation in their early life so they can understand numerous problems related to it like climate change and sustainability. This will also enable future generations to be more conscious and they will start demanding safe infrastructure for cycling. Politicians will then respond to public demands and create the necessary cycling infrastructure. Furthermore, policymakers can also adopt innovative ideas to make cycling a viable option for all social groups and try to change the perception of people towards cycling. The key findings from the research are interrelated in some or the other way as an action by a stakeholder can unfold an action by another stakeholder and hence collaboration among stakeholders is also necessary.

The research had variety of constraints. Due to various restrictions, primarily, the most relevant factors that influence the choice of transportation were determined. Only interviews with experts were conducted, however, interviews with other people who are not experts but want to cycle or cycle regularly would have offered new insights. Regarding future recommendations, the findings from this research can be used to establish a methodical approach on how to improve cycling utilization in the Indian capital region and identify the key elements that are currently lacking. Alternatively, instead of comparing the Indian capital to an advanced nation, it may be beneficial to do so with an emerging nation or a city as it would allow Indian decision-makers to better grasp the needs of the people and act with limited resources.