Bicycle pedals down memory lane in Pakistan

LAHORE The trend of bicycles has entirely changed in Pakistan, mostly because of an onslaught by the auto industry. This has resulted in a sharp decrease across the country in the production of the bicycles, especially during the last decade. Moreover, the have-nots in the country and even those living in the urban areas who earlier used to have the bicycles have now jumped to the motorbikes and cars. According to an estimate, the production of bicycles in Pakistan had decreased from 50,000 in 2004. Another problem is that Pakistan lags behind the US, Kenya, China, Indian and some other Asian countries in exporting standard bicycles. Our neighbouring country China, however, leads the export ladder in the mountain and fancy bicycle categories. The main reason for Chinas strength is the attractive bicycle designs, structures, colours, and cheep prices. The saga of bicycle industry in Pakistan is quite astonishing as the countrymen preferred buying bicycles from the USA, China, the UK and other countries till the 60s. After utilising the local resources, about 22 traders of historical Anarkali Bazaar purchased two kanals of land in Shahdara area and established a bicycle industry, namely, Rostam and Sohrab. Today the company is housed on an area of 150 kanals, with 220 members. Within a few years, Pakistan introduced two in ccording to the agreement, we will export 10,000 standard bicycles to Bangladesh, an ex-director of Sohrab Bicycle digenous models and titled them Rostam and Sohrab. Meanwhile, Rostams model badly failed to make place in market so the idea of production in Rostam was dropped, Sohrab, however, continued. We started exporting thousands of standard bicycles to the US, China, and UK even before the year 1960. Recently, we have signed an MOU with a renowned Bangladesh firm M Alam Bicycle Company. A Corporative Company, and president of Bicycle and Bicycle Spare Parts (Neela Gumbad Market) Muhammad Awais Sheikh told this scribe. Mr. Sheikh says various bicycle companies including Batala Engineering Company, Eagle, Falcon and, etc. emerged in Pakistan but excluding Eagle other companies were either nationalized by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto or have been collapsed due to different reasons. According to him, with the influx of the auto industry and suspension of subsidy on the bicycle industry by the late General (r) Ziaul Haq, the sale of bicycle in Pakistan dropped by some 30 percent as compared to its volume in late Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttos era. Profit of margin is meagre on bicycle. Moreover, the auto industry has established 60 units in the country so the production of bicycles has shrunken to 20 to 22 thousand as compared to 40 to 50 thousand before the former dictator General Ziaul Haq injected martial law in the country, he added. The Bicycle and Bicycle Spare Parts president further said, Still there is a huge demand of standard bicycles in the remote areas of Pakistan, including Jhang, Multan, Faisalabad, Muzaffargarh, Sargodha, Sadiqabad, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanewal, D.G. Khan, Bhakar, and Sahiwal. An officebearer of the Eagle Bicycle Company, however, claimed the production of Eagle had also dropped from 20,000 to just 4,000. In fact, after we realized the situation that the trend of bicycle was dieing in Pakistan then we increased our production in Motorbikes and Cars. Qasim Hassan Butt, finance secretary Lahore Cycle and Cycle Spare Parts Dealers Trade Group, says the downward trend started in 2004. Neela Gumbad Market is the biggest bicycle market of Asia with 292 shops of bicycles and spare parts but due to poor load-management the Bicycle industry is closed four day in a week, which has compelled the employees and traders to start new business, he commented. Mohammad Zahid Bhatti and Rashid Bhatti, brothers and leading bicycle sellers of Neela Gumbad Marekt, say that they were still selling 250 bicycles Standard and Mountain - per month on wholesale rate. Mostly students under 19y purchase MTB and use them for wheelies especially on Sunday on Ring Road, The Mall and other leading arteries can be observed full of teenagers in wheeling, they added. Zill-e-Huma, a 21-year-old female student of Lahore College for Women, says she also uses mountain bicycle for her fitness on early morning. Similarly, this has become a fashion in young girls as well as a useful conveyance for short distance. Even you can use it for college and to purchase grocery, she commented. Jinnah Hospital Chief Executive and principal of the Allama Iqbal Medical College Prof. Dr. Javed Akram says that cycling sharply decreases diseases like sugar and blood pressures, as about 70 percent mussels move in human body. This is 100 percent perfect for physical fitness but cyclists should use it early in the morning with empty stomach. Javed Akram, however, complained against the authorities concerned, which always neglect the rights of cyclists while constructing roads, adding bicycles-theft is another problem otherwise cycling is the best exercise to maintain human body.