Bengaluru is hard to explore with a car. Two wheelers are the best way to circumvent traffic jams and annoying bottlenecks. Among two-wheelers, bicycles are the best way to travel in for a multitude of reasons. The act of pedaling itself fills you with bliss after a while that sportspeople can understand. The exercise and the lack of exhaust smoke make bicycles eco-friendly and a preferred mode of transport. But is it convenient? Surprisingly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes.
Public Bicycle System from 4th Of March
The much-awaited Public Bicycle Sharing system is to be implemented in our city starting on the 4th of March. The PBS shall be officially launched from the Vidhan Soudha. Over five thousand cycles shall be available at around 400 parking spots in the city. The PBS system is an initiative by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport and seeks to replicate a similar system in Mysore which goes by the name ‘Trin-Trin’.
The PBS system will cover regions like Cubbon Park, M G Road, Trinity, Ulsoor, Indira Nagar in the main stage. The system comes to our city after a two-year delay though it was approved in the 2017-18 state budget.
The Directorate of urban land transport (DULT) has issued licenses to four bicycle operators – Zoomcar PEDL, Yulu Bikes, Bounce, and Lezonet. Of these four, Yulu Bikes needs no introduction for it has been operating for a while now and has won over the hearts of a lot of people. Being one of the front runners in promoting change, Yulu Bikes has successfully aligned itself with initiatives such as Clean India, Digital India and Make in India. The firm operates in Pune, Mumbai, and Bhubaneswar as well.
How It Works:
All the four companies which are shortlisted have their own apps which people can use to avail the service. One can unlock the cycles with the Android app and ride for the price of Rs.5 per 30 minutes. The trip ends when you park the cycle at a designated zone and lock it.
Yulu bikes are seen in Metro stations and in places along the ring road, especially near the IT parks. The only problem right now seems to be a lack of awareness and non-availability of bikes. Well, this shall soon no longer be an issue.
Yulu Miracle
Yulu Bikes recently launched ‘Yulu Miracle’ – an electric scooter service at the MG Road Metro. These eco-friendly electric scooters will have a maximum speed of 25kmph and would cost rupees ten for ten minutes after the initial unlocking charge of rupees ten. The lithium battery powered low-speed scooter has no emissions and is a good alternative for those who don’t prefer riding the cycles.
Mahindra Jain, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department has been quoted saying that the government is taking more steps to develop wider tracks and pavements for convenient riding and parking of the cycles. The BMTC chairman and Shantinagar MLA NA Harris have also spoken of how initiatives like this would increase the number of people using public transport by solving last minute connectivity issues.
In conjunction with the BMTC and Metro, the PBS system can bring much-needed relief to Bengaluru roads and reduce traffic. The eco-friendly and convenient travel option shall truly transform our city for the better. Change is here Bengaluru. Are you ready for it? Let us know in the comments down below.
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