3 years late, 320 e-cycles are set to roll out this month in Noida

NOIDA: The city is likely to get electric bicycles by the end of this month. In the first phase of the project, which was first proposed in 2020, 320 e-bicycles will operate from 62 docking stations set up across the city.
According to Noida Authority officials, work on electricity connections, overhead shades and Wi-Fi connectivity are under way and will be completed within a week. "After the trial is successful, 320 additional cycles will be added. The cycles will be available on rent via an app. The prices are yet to be decided. The app will allow booking and payment for use of the service," said SP Singh, deputy general manager, Noida Authority (traffic cell).
Docking stations have been established near the Noida Authority office in Sector 6, near Child PGI hospital in Sector 30 and Sector 62. They have also been set up at several metro stations - sectors 15, 16, 18 and 51, Noida City Centre and Botanical Garden.
Officials said cameras and wireless systems for live GPS tracking of the bicycles are being installed at each docking station. The deadline for the project was earlier January 15, but there was a delay in the arrival of e-bicycles.
Meanwhile, road design and safety experts said while the spirit of such initiatives is encouraging for public health and the environment, the road infrastructure should be made robust before they are launched.
Subhash Chand, Scientist at Central Road research institute said, "Segregation of traffic is a must to ensure safety for bicycle users. On the main roads the left lane is for heavy vehicles like buses and driving in the same lane can cause accidents. Some cycle tracks built earlier still exist at places like sector 62 and Ranjnigandha Chowk. However, when they are not maintained, the effectiveness of such good initiatives reduces."
The officials from the Noida authority said that once the service starts the learnings and feedback from the users will be used to equip the road infrastructure which can accommodate more bicycles along with usual traffic.