In a push to promote bicycles as first-mile and last-mile connectivity options in the city, the 'Trin Trin' public bicycle sharing project (dock-less model) was launched on Monday.
The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), the agency that is implementing the project, said 3,000 cycles are available in the city. In the next phase, 3,000 more bicycles will be added.
The DULT has identified over 400 bicycle parking locations in HSR Layout, Koramangala, Indiranagar, the Central Business District, Vidhana Soudha and other areas. That apart, services will be made available at 40 metro stations. On the Purple Line, many commuters are already using the services at M.G. Road, Indiranagar, Baiyappanahalli and S.V. Road metro stations.
The DULT has issued permits to Yulu, PEDL, Lejonet and Bounce to operate bicycle sharing services. The project will be handled by a newly formed society ‘Karnataka Non-Motorised Transport Agency’ (KNMTA).
After launching the project in front of Vidhana Soudha on Monday, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said bicycle sharing has been well received after its launch in Mysuru. He added that the environment friendly, non-motorised transport will help metro passengers get last- and first-mile connectivity in the city.
Taking a cue from Mysuru
The Trin Trin project was introduced in Mysuru in 2017. Over 11,000 people are reportedly using the service in Mysuru every day. After the success of the project, the government had decided to replicate the same in the city. The Cabinet gave its approval in January 2018.
The government has earmarked ₹ 80.18 crore to build the required infrastructure, which includes dedicated bicycle lanes. There is a proposal to build dedicated or shared bicycle lanes stretching 125 km. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has floated tenders for 46 km.
Providing dedicated bicycle lanes has been pointed out as a crucial factor to promote the use of non-motorised transport considering the traffic situation in the city, with the vehicle population touching 80 lakh.
Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Mahendra Jain said that the city will have dedicated bicycle lanes stretching 125 km in the next six months. The government is planning to extend the length to 1,200 km in a phased manner.