Mumbai’s public bike-sharing now popular, 9,772 trips made in November

The newly-introduced electric bike sharing scheme in Bandra Kurla complex (BKC) is gaining popularity, said the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is gaining momentum.

According to data shared by MMRDA, 2,967 new users registered for Yulu Bikes’ service in November. The electric bikes were launched on August 31 to facilitate last-mile connectivity between office complexes and the suburban train stations in Bandra and Kurla.

As per data shared on Tuesday, 9,772 trips were registered in November, covering a total distance of more than 66,000 kms. MMRDA said, “We’re delighted to announce that since the @YuluBike services were launched in BKC, we have added 7000+ new users, 27000+ trips, 1.62 lakh+ kms & have saved 16+ tonnes of carbon emissions! (sic).”

MMRDA expects numbers to rise steadily as more businesses open in BKC in the coming months. Officials said they predicted a spike in numbers once the suburban railway network resumes services for everyone. At present, the rail network is only partially open and footfall is still low in BKC, compared to pre-lockdown times.

On August 31, MMRDA had launched the public electric bike-sharing facility in BKC. Currently, there are around 18 zones of docks in and around BKC from where commuters can access the bikes. While Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had inaugurated the bikes in January, the launch was postponed owing to lockdown.