Phase 3 of Chandigarh’s public bike sharing project gets rolling

The third phase has now brought the total number of bicycles to 3,750 at 465 docking stations across the Chandigarh

Strap/Blurb: A total of 1,250 bicycles at 155 new docking stations added to the existing fleet

The third phase of Chandigarh’s public bike sharing project was launched by the UT administrator. (HT File)

UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday launched the third phase of the city’s public bike sharing system, adding 1,250 more bicycles at 155 new docking stations to the existing fleet.

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 has now brought the total number of bicycles to 3,750 at 465 docking stations across the city.

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.

‘Right step towards reducing air pollution’

Smart City chief executive officer (CEO) Anindita Mitra said the app has gained 2,00,000-plus registered users, while 8,30,000-plus rides covering 33,00,000 km have been taken so far. The shift has also seen the city bring down 750-plus tonne carbon dioxide emission between December 2020 and January 2023.

Purohit, meanwhile, congratulated the Chandigarh Smart City, saying, “The public bike sharing project is a step in the right direction towards reducing air pollution and promoting a healthy lifestyle among the residents of Chandigarh.”

Under the fourth phase, the count is expected to go up to 5,000 bicycles and 617 docking stations.

Though the original rollout of phases 3 and 4 was slated for April 2022, the agency had sought extension till September 2022, citing mounting losses — primarily caused by vandalism of smart bikes and lack of advertisers. It again sought an extension in October 2022.

Mitra said, “The response to the project has been good so far. We are launching Phase 3 on January 21 and have directed the agency to launch Phase 4 by July this year.”

1,200 rides per day

In the past year, more than 1.5 lakh users have downloaded the smart bike mobile app. On average, around 1,200 rides are taken every day. The number goes up to 1,600 on public holidays.