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E-scooter sharing system to take off from Dwarka: Kejriwal
Commuters will be able to travel in Metro trains, buses and e-scooters using integrated tickets, said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi government will soon launch an e-scooter sharing system in Dwarka sub-city in which 1,500 e-scooters will be deployed at 250 high footfall locations such as Metro stations, bus depots, markets, malls and educational institutions, in an effort to ensure last mile connectivity for commuters.
The e-scooters will be able to travel 60km in one charge at a maximum speed of 60kmph, and commuters will be able to travel in them using integrated tickets, which they will also be able to use to travel in buses and Metro, said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in a press conference on Saturday.
“To ensure last mile connectivity and safety, we are undertaking this pilot project in Dwarka, which has 10 Metro stations and many bus stops. We will deploy 1,500 e-scooters at 250 location that will be accessible using integrated tickets. A person will be able to take a scooter from any of these locations, he or she will be provided a helmet and the e-scooters can be taken away, used and deposited at another of these 250 locations,” said Kejriwal.
The government will soon call for open tenders to select the company that will provide and maintain the e-scooters. “Once the agreement is signed on a tender basis, 500 e-scooters will be deployed at 100 locations in the first four months. Another 500 scooters will be deployed in the 100 more locations in the next four months and finally, all 1,500 scooters will be put in place in 12 months,” Kejriwal said.
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The government will award the contract for seven years. “The bid parameter will be the minimum charge for ticket. We will select the company that will offer the tickets to users at the minimum rate,” added Kejriwal. Once the experiment is successful, it will be replicated in other parts of the city.
Kejriwal said Delhi now has 7,500 buses and ensuring last mile connectivity will also reduce road traffic. “Once last mile connectivity is present, we can use carrot and stick policy and force people to use public transport. Once we have increased public participation in the public transport system, traffic will be reduced,” he added.
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Kejriwal said the public works department (PWD) is also working on removing traffic bottlenecks. “We have identified bottleneck points and PWD is working at each point woth interventions like u-turs and flyovers. We are working on this plan,” he added.
An e-bicycle sharing project is currently in place in area under the New Delhi municipal corporation while bicycle sharing systems are being operated at select locations by the municipal corporation of Delhi.
The Delhi Development Authority tried to start a bicycle sharing project in Dwarka twice in the last five years but failed on both occasions. While the first tender floated by the authority failed to attract any company, the bidder who was awarded the contract during the second attempt did not execute the project.
