A research made by a German company has revealed that Bengaluru is home to the entire fleet of scooters available for sharing in the country, making India the number one country in the world with the highest fleet size in the scooter-sharing industry.
The need for Dockless scooter-sharing
Reaching your destination right on time is considered as a dream come true in Bengaluru. With the immense traffic lingering 18 hours a day, it has become a big headache for the civic body to solve this problem. The increase in the number of private vehicles on the road is also one of the reasons for the havoc caused in the city. Two-wheelers or scooters alone have the maximum share (55%) of the total number of vehicles in the city (2.5 cr).
The dockless scooter-sharing has contributed towards becoming a solution to the traffic problem in the city. On an individual scale, mobility experts observed that scooter sharing apps have helped to reduce the use of private vehicles during recent times. The keyless scooters allow users the convenience of picking up a bike from anywhere through its app and dropping it at any location once they reach their destination.
Global Scooter Sharing Market
Now a new report by the Global Scooter Sharing Market Report 2019 has said that the silicon city is home to almost the entire line of scooters accessible for sharing in the country.
Leaving other European countries behind, India alone has over 20,000 scooters available on rent. The list shows Spain (13,520), France (8,200), and Italy (5,150) holding the next three spots sequentially.
Bengaluru based company, both Vogo and Bounce have topped the chart of the top five operators in the world followed by Madrid, Paris, and Barcelona.
“Two companies, Vogo and Bounce, have closed large investment rounds with strong partners and dominate the local market. Vogo gathered +100 million USD and is backed by Ola, whereas Bounce gathered another +100 million USD. Together, they brought an estimated number of almost 15,000-20,000 scooters to the streets of India,” the research said.
Experts opinion
“Intense situations of traffic jam and adaptability offered by two-wheelers to find gaps in between adds to swifter commute, which attracts users,” said Dr. Ashish Verma, Associate Professor, Transportation Systems Engineering.
He continues that bus tickets remaining more expensive for an individual than traveling on a scooter in Bengaluru is another sharp reason behind the growth. Also, a large amount of population in the city, especially IT professionals, decided to hire a vehicle during their stay rather than buying one for themselves,” he added.
