Electric Cycles in Gwalior

The fort comes first. That long, steep-sided rock in the middle of town makes traffic between Lashkar in the south and Hazira and the old city in the north go round it, never over. Those roads stay level or close to it. Only the ramps to the fort gates are steep, and commuters hardly ever use them. East of the rock, Morar, Thatipur and the cantonment sit lower and flatter, and City Centre, with its offices and malls, links the two halves.

Who goes where? Shopkeepers head for Maharaj Bada and Daulatganj, students for Jiwaji University, MITS and the medical college, and government staff for City Centre and Phool Bagh. Each trip is 4 to 8 km. The long hauls leave town: the Banmore industrial area towards Morena, and Malanpur on the Bhind road, both over 20 km from Lashkar. That's when range starts to count.

It's all about the heat. IMD's normal high for May is 42.1 °C, and late May into June can feel worse. So people ride at dawn, finish errands by eleven, and head out again after dark. The motor does the work, though you still need shade for parking, a bottle on the frame, and a cooled battery before charging. The monsoon starts in late June and brings about 790 mm a year, mostly July and August. Winters are cold and dry, with fog on a few December mornings.

The city has made some effort for bicycles. Its smart city programme put public bike-share on the priority list next to the Maharaj Bada revitalisation, with smart streets meant to encourage walking and cycling. Most daily riders cover 4 to 25 km, from a short Thatipur to City Centre hop to a shift out at Banmore.