Chandigarh: With fuel prices on the rise, ride a cycle for Rs 10 from today
UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore will be inaugurating the first phase from Shanti Kunj in Sector 16. As many as 1,250 bicycles will be available at 155 docking stations for the residents. This is just the first phase of the project.
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The PMC aims to raise the percentage of the population using cycles from 9 to 25 by 2031. (Representational Image)
Chandigarh residents will be getting a bicycle ride as the first phase of public bike-sharing project gets kicked off from Thursday. As fuel prices have already gone through the roof, the bike-sharing project seems a viable one during this time.
UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore will be inaugurating the first phase from Shanti Kunj in Sector 16. As many as 1,250 bicycles will be available at 155 docking stations for the residents. This is just the first phase of the project.
Residents can rent these bicycles at a nominal Rs 10 for half an hour and Rs 5 (for half an hour) for members.
Though the project involves providing 5,000 bicycles to city residents, it will be completed in four phases till 2022, with the first phase of 1,250 cycles being provided Thursday.
Of the 1,250 cycles, till now 225 have been provided at 25 dock stations. But from Thursday, all 1,250 will be available.
HOW DOES IT WORK
Residents will have to download an app by the name ‘Smart bike’ from Play Store. Via an OTP, the mobile number will be verified. Once the ID proof is uploaded, one can click “ready for ride” and then resident can scan the QR code or also enter the bike number.
There will be the facility of a wallet too where residents can get prepaid top-up done of Rs 100, Rs 200 or Rs 500.
After the ride is complete, the resident will be shown the amount he has to pay and it will automatically be deducted from the Paytm account or digital wallet attached to the registration.
Once ride is ended, after parking the bike at the docking station, the resident has to click on ‘end ride’ and pay using Paytm or digital wallet attached to the registration.
DOCKING STATIONS
The docking stations are spread across prominent locations in the city such as Rock Garden, High Court and Sukhna, PGI, Sector 17, Sector 22, Sector 34, Sector 35, Sector 43 and other crowded areas.
In total 5,000 bicycles will be provided in the city along with a network of 617 docking stations spread throughout the city giving last-mile connectivity to the users.
This size of the project will make it India’s largest and densest public bike sharing Network.
GPS-ENABLED LOCKING ARRANGEMENT
All bicycles are provided with GPS-enabled locking arrangement and will be monitored in the Command and Control Centre having a 24X7 facility of helpline for the users.
This project is being implemented and operated by the concessionaire M/s Smart Bike Tech Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad for 10 years on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis.
Users/citizens will be able to take bicycle on rent to commute through the city at very nominal user charges which are Rs 10 for half an hour and Rs 5 for members for half an hour.
How to pick up a bicycle?
Users will be able to take a bicycle by downloading and registering through mobile app ‘Smart Bike’, unlocking and locking a bicycle at the docking station as per their requirement. Docking stations have been provided keeping in view the first- and last-mile connectivity to users by bicycles.
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