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Chandigarh to get 1,250 more bicycles as part of public sharing project by July 31
In the meeting of the board of the directors on Tuesday, which was held in the presence of UT adviser Dharampal, it was decided to roll out new bicycles at 109 stations, instead of the planned 155 docking stations as Panjab University has not permitted the 17 stations on its premises. Also, for the remaining 18 stations, the firm has decided to shift the locations.
The board of directors of the Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) has decided to roll out the fourth and the final phase of the city’s public bike sharing (PBS) system by July 31, adding 1,250 more bicycles to the existing fleet at 109 new docking stations.
In the meeting of the board of the directors on Tuesday, which was held in the presence of UT adviser Dharampal, it was decided to roll out new bicycles at 109 stations, instead of the planned 155 docking stations as Panjab University has not permitted the 17 stations on its premises. Also, for the remaining 18 stations, the firm has decided to shift the locations.
Speaking about the project, CSCL CEO and municipal corporation commissioner Anindita Mitra, said, “The public bike sharing project is a step towards reducing air pollution and promoting a healthy lifestyle among the residents of Chandigarh. Cycling, e-biking or walking can help tackle the climate crisis such as harmful particles, chemicals, and gases released into the air from the tailpipes of vehicles, contributing to air pollution. The fourth phase will now bring the total number of bicycles to 5,000 at 574 docking stations across the city.”
The Chandigarh Smart City project was started in December 2020, with a pilot phase with 250 bicycles and 25 docking stations. The same was followed by the first phase in August 2021, with 1,250 bicycles and 155 docking stations. The project’s second phase got rolling in February 2022, with the addition of 1,250 new bicycles to the fleet. The third phase of the project was launched by UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on January 26 with 1,250 more bicycles at 155 docking stations.
Mitra added, “We had taken up the matter with the PU, but they still did not agree. From the pilot phase to June this year, more than 3, 00,000 are registered users, 8,75,000 plus rides covering 35,00,000 kms and 875 plus tonne carbon emissions have been saved by using these bicycles.”
Users can pick up a bicycle for ₹10 per half hour from any docking station, while the charge is ₹5 per half hour for those with annual membership of ₹500. The bicycles can be used after registering on the Smart Bike App.
