Noida, G Noida authorities plan e-bike service for commuters

GREATER NOIDA: The Noida and the Greater Noida authorities are planning to start electric bike service soon in a bid to give more options to commuters and enhance last mile connectivity

GREATER NOIDA:

Noida, India- October 09, 2022: A large pothole was created along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway near Sector 137, leading to a big traffic jam, in Noida, India, on Sunday, October 09, 2022. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The Noida and the Greater Noida authorities are planning to start electric bike service soon in a bid to give more options to commuters and enhance last mile connectivity.

The two authorities will provide electric bikes on rent at all Metro stations and other busy public areas. The tender to select an agency is likely to be issued this month, sources said.

The Noida authority has been working on this project since 2020 and also floated a tender to rope in an expert agency that will run the service. However, it could not finalise an agency because only one Delhi-based agency evinced interest in 2021. But this month, the Noida authority has already zeroed-in on two agencies. Each of them will run 310 e-bikes in Noida and the service may be operational by the end of November, said sources.

“But now many expert agencies are showing interest in taking the e-bike project. We have decided to issue tenders for both Noida and Greater Noida soon. We hope to finalise the agency for Noida and Greater Noida in accordance with procedures. Once the agency is finalized, the project will witness progress,” said Ritu Maheshwari, chief executive officer (CEO) of both Noida and Greater Noida authority.

In accordance with an earlier plan, the Noida Authority has decided to procure 350 e-bikes that commuters can rent at a cost of ₹2 per minute for better last mile connectivity.

The Noida authority has already developed 62 parking sites for the e-bikes in Sector 6, 67, 14, 16A and other sectors, said officials aware of the development.

The agency that will be hired for the project will also prepare a mobile application that will help commuters book an e-bike.

Noida and Greater Noida have both Metro and bus service to meet public transport needs, but covering short distances remains a challenge with commuters having to resort to sharing space on e-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws. The unforgiving traffic jams compound the problems of daily commuters.

“The last mile connectivity is a big issue in the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida because one cannot always travel to their exact destination via bus service or Metro. One has to either walk from the Metro station or depend on erratic private taxis for short distances. E-bikes will be helpful to many residents,” said Kanchan Tripathi, a daily commuter.