Bicycle sharing system: After app, Panchkula MC launches smart cards
The plan was finalised after some resident welfare associations demanded the facility as children and senior citizens without smartphones were unable to use the service.
The Panchkula municipal corporation (MC) has launched smart cards for residents to access the public bicycle sharing (PBS) system launched in August. The plan was finalised after some resident welfare associations (RWAs) demanded the facility as children and senior citizens without smartphones were unable to use the service. Even the company looking after the project, through the feedbacks from residents, discovered that majority of students and the underprivileged people without smartphones were interested in using the facility.
The smart cards have been introduced at an initial cost of ₹100. Later, users will have to pay as per different price slabs of ₹250, ₹500and ₹1,000. People can get smartcards from the MC’s citizen facilitation centre in Sector 4. Before this, the Yaana app users have to scan the QR Code on a bicycle from their smartphones to open its lock.
However, with the launch of smart cards, residents not possessing smartphones can now unlock a cycle by swiping a smart card.
MC commissioner Rajesh Jogpal said, “The bike sharing system has got a good response from the residents. Since we want all residents to be able to access the service, we have introduced the smart cards.”
As per the MC data, a total number of 28,099 downloads of the Yana application have been done by the residents. The data shows that the public bicycle sharing system is more popular among men as 21,777 downloads were done by males as compared to 6,322 downloads by females.
Currently, the civic body has docked 200 cycles at 20 bike stations in the city. The bicycles can be used for 14 hours everyday from 6am to 8pm. They are equipped with a GPS tracking system and the mobile app provides the facility of cashless transactions. Further, the app can be used both by android and iOS users. It tells the distance covered and the calories burnt by a rider.
Also, the Chandigarh MC has asked its Panchkula counterpart for a slot of bicycles for a live demo of the bicycle sharing project there on September 23.
Jogpal said they had received a communique from the Chandigarh MC demanding 80 cycles for one day. However, the Panchkula MC has currently finalised for giving 40 bicycles, owing to high demand.