Architect Pranav Naik had been taking his foldable bicycle on the underground Metro Line 3 for a year, using it to shuttle between his office in Mahim and project site in Fort. Folding it in half, he had used the arrangement on local trains, BEST buses, and metros in other Indian cities to reduce his reliance on private vehicles.

But last week, he was told cycles, folding or otherwise, are not allowed in the underground Aqua Line.

“I was stopped out of the blue, despite having taken the cycle countless times before it. Guards and the officials of the metro told me that a new rule meant I couldn’t take my cycle in,” said Naik, who is the cofounder of Studio Pomergrante. “While they eventually let me, they didn’t have any explanation as to why it isn’t allowed, if other similarly sized bags and wheelchairs are allowed.”

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The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has confirmed that commuters cannot bring cycles, folded or packed, into the Aqua Line. It said, “As per the prevailing security guidelines, bicycles, including foldable bicycles in folded or packed condition, are not permitted on Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) premises or trains.”

The rule is not new, as an MMRCL spokesperson said the Metro line was built expecting a large volume of passengers. It, however, hasn’t delivered, as Line 3 lags in ridership.

Naik has travelled on the city’s other metro lines and local trains, but never faced any objections.

Folding his cycle in half, architect Naik said he has used the arrangement on local trains, and BEST buses

Switching to rickshaws and taxis from metro stations often requires a lot of waiting and haggling over costs, topped by reduced frequency of BEST buses and rickshaws and taxis refusing to ply by meter.

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Firoza Dadan, Mumbai’s first bicycle mayor, said, “A folding bicycle is a practical solution for first and last mile problems. Otherwise, you’re increasing the dependency on shared mobility, like rickshaws, taxis, cab-hailing apps. If the authorities are saying they’re working towards sustainable public transport in the city, why are they skipping out on this one piece that could help?”

“Restricting folding bicycles on the Aqua Line dilutes the core purpose of building a multi-modal transport system. For a modern infrastructure like Line 3 to succeed in promoting green commuting, MMRCL must integrate folding bikes into its transit policy and align with other metro lines in the city,” said Vijay Malhotra, Cycling Blogger & Founder of Pedal and Tring Tring.