BMC offers incentives to pvt e-bike operators

With an aim to have 1 lakh rental electric bikes plying on the roads in future, the civic body has come up with various incentives for operators.

With an aim to have 1 lakh rental electric bikes plying on the roads in future, the civic body has come up with various incentives for operators.

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In its new policy on rental e-bikes, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has stated there will be free parking for these bikes at designated slots and operators need not share operational revenue with them, apart from the revenue earned from advertisements. Operators will have to develop a mobile app wherein those wanting to rent e-bikes can check-in and check-out, along the lines of the apps developed by private cab aggregators. The public bike sharing (PBS) policy is the BMC’s initiative towards pollution-free commute. The policy is expected to get a final nod from the BMC’s general body by the end of this week, after which the civic body will invite interested parties to start the project on a pilot basis.

“The aim is to have 1 lakh electric bikes in the coming years, but we will have a soft start with say 5,000 or 10,000 e-bikes. The routes and fares can be decided by operators. We have given them specifications on the model. Commuters will also require insurance,” said a BMC official. Firoza Suresh, founder, Smart Commute Foundation, who is working with the BMC on promoting cycling, said, “The policy is a good start. I feel commercial areas or station-office types of routes can be targeted.”