Business Line 04.12.2013
Chennai Corpn plans to launch cycle-sharing scheme next year
In Antwerp Velo cycles are available for free for the first half hour of each ride. — T.E. Raja Simhan
Chennai, Dec.4: Chennai Corporation plans to introduce a
cycle-sharing scheme in the city to provide a low-cost, environmentally
friendly mode of transport to Chennaiites.
Cycle-sharing will boost use of public transport by
providing the crucial last-mile connectivity. It will be available in a
closely spaced network of fully automated stations. Users can check out
cycles at one station and return them to any other station in the
network.
In the first phase, the Corporation plans to have around 3,500 cycles made available at 150-170 stations.
The plan is to open this in mid-2014, for which the
Corporation recently called an Expression of Interest (EoI) from
companies to develop, design, install, and operate a Cycle Sharing
System in the city.
Submission of EoI date has been extended on request from companies, Vikram Kapur, Commissioner, Chennai Corporation, told Business Line. “We are going ahead with the project,” he said.
The successful bidder will provide bicycles, stations, a
control centre, electronic payment system, operations and maintenance
marketing and customer service.
The initial coverage will include commercial areas of
Thousand Lights and Egmore, neighbourhoods of Mylapore and Royapettah,
education institutes along Kamarajar Salai and government offices,
including the Fort complex.
World View
Globally, there are nearly 550 cycle-sharing programmes with an estimated fleet of 5,17,000 cycles.
The Wuhan and Hangzhou public cycle programmes in China are the largest with around 90,000 and 60,000 bicycles respectively.
A number of European cities too have adopted similar schemes.
In Antwerp, for instance, Velo cycles are available for free for the first half hour of each ride.
Easy Access
Velo cycles can be hired through its website, through
week or day pass, via customer service or through a WAP application on
mobile. A card is activated and one can immediately pick up a bike from
any of the Velo stations. After the ride one can drop the Velo again at
the station closest to the destination.
The Chennai Cycle Sharing will connect the key
destinations to other modes of public transport, including the Mass
Rapid Transit System, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd and the Metropolitan
Transport Corporation bus system.
Cycle sharing stations will be physically integrated
with stations and bus stops of the respective public transport systems.
In addition, the ticketing system for the programme will be integrated
with the electronic fare collection system currently under development
by CMRL and MTC under the auspices of the Chennai Unified Metropolitan
Transport Authority.
Public transport is currently responsible for 41 per
cent of all motorised trips in the city. The Chennai Comprehensive
Transportation Study has set a goal of increasing this mode share to 70
per cent of all trips by 2026.
The rollout of Chennai Cycle Sharing will be paired with
the introduction of dedicated cycling facilities, including a cycle
track along Marina Beach, said the EoI.