Delhi, get a bicycle ride for just Rs 10 and count the calories you burn too

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council formally launched its app-based SmartBike service with an eye on the pollution and to make mobility cost-effective, environment-friendly and healthy. These bikes, sporting features like LED lights, gears, GPS navigating and QR-code locking system, can be accessed at 25 SmartBike stations at different points of the NDMC area.

The bikes are available for as low as Rs 10 for an hour.

As TOI had reported, the bike stations were established last month and the trial run had started on November 23. Since then, around 5,000 people have registered to use the bikes. There are 250 bikes for rent at present, but the figure will swell to 500 by the end of December even as the number of stations will go up to 50. NDMC wants to introduce an additional 2,500 bikes in 2019.




After every ride, the user can check the number of calories burnt during the ride and the volume of CO2 prevented by the use of this green transport mode. The bikes have to run within NDMC bounds. If it is taken beyond this, the rider is asked by the service call centre to return the bike to the nearest station.

“I hired a SmartBike while waiting for an autorickshaw near the General Post Office and my ride to India Gate was a pleasure,” reported Gaurav Bhatia, a Burari resident. Ahan Kumar, who lives near GPO, said he was excited to see the bikes but felt that lack of dedicated tracks caused some difficulties.

“We are geared up to change the lifestyle of Delhiites by adopting cycling in order to bridge the last-mile connectivity gap and to reduce pollution in a way that is healthy for people,” said Naresh Kumar, chairman of NDMC, which has tied up with SmartBike Mobility Pvt Ltd, a Hyderabad-based start-up, for the project.

NDMC is also planning to introduce electric scooters in a similar initiative. It has held a couple of preliminary meetings, disclosed Naresh Kumar. Alongside, the civic body is mulling the idea of developing some of the smart bike stations into bike plazas where people can have snacks and spend some time while hiring the bikes or returning them. The compact plazas, Kumar said, could sell snacks, soft drinks and drinking water.

NDMC is also planning to earmark portions on existing footpaths for cycle users. “The footpaths can be used for cycling because they have ramps,” said an official. “Some areas on the footpaths will be fitted with markings and light reflectors for this purpose.”