Salt Lake to follow footsteps of New Town as NKDA mulls cycle sharing scheme in Sector V

Kolkata: Buoyed by the popularity of the public bicycle sharing scheme in New Town, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) is planning to introduce such green cycles in Salt Lake Sector V. NKDA is already having talks with the traffic wing of Bidhannagar City Police for rolling out the cycles in the IT hub.

"When the service was introduced last year, we had started with 300 bicycles. But at present, 2,300 cycles are on the road. So, we are thinking of making the scheme more popular," a senior official of NKDA said.

It may be mentioned that this type of public bicycle sharing scheme is functional and popular in different parts of the globe, like Europe, China and South-East Asia. The green cycles are dockless, GPS enabled, fitted with tubeless tyres and required security features. They are available on a rental basis. NKDA has allowed parking of the bicycles upon payment of nominal fees.

The scheme, which is the only one of its kind in the country, is a part of the Green City Mission, aimed at enhancing last mile connectivity and reducing air pollution.

According to an NKDA official, it has been found that more and more people are using the service while reaching the nearest bus stop, in the evening from 5 to 9 pm. "In daytime while going to office they are mostly choosing transports like autos or totos, because they are in a hurry," the official added.

In an attempt to ensure safety, separate cycle tracks have been constructed and separate cycle lanes have been demarcated in many areas, particularly Action Area-I of New Town.

Rides per day average around 2,000 to 2,200 in number. The number of pick up points is 80, while the rate is Rs 3 for 30 minutes. The cycles have app-based QR codes and solar-powered GPS enabled lock/unlock systems. The payment is linked through Paytm wallet and the two wheelers have airless solid tyres and are fitted with drum brakes for longevity, along with anti-slip chains.

In April 2018, the cycle-sharing scheme bagged the best award announced by Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the Urban Transport category.