CHENNAI: After a three-year hiatus caused by the heavy losses due to the pandemic, the smart bike initiative is set to be back on track soon. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is in talks with the private firm to restart the service in the city.
Speaking to DT Next, a corporation official said, "The preliminary talks with the firm are under way. Once the talks are completed, the smart bike will be relaunched at 30 prominent places. Based on the response, the number of locations may be increased."
The Smart Bike Mobility Private Limited operates a mobile-based bicycle service in metropolitan cities in India, including Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Chandigarh. The platform allows users to locate, rent, ride, and return bicycles at designated stations through a mobile app as part of micromobility and last-mile connectivity.
According to the GCC, the bicycle-sharing programme was operated on a design, build, finance, and operate (DBFO) basis for a seven-year term. Under this agreement, the Hyderabad-based firm shares 30 per cent of its revenue with the civic body.
It allowed users to ride on an hourly and subscription basis: the firm charged Rs 5 for the first hour, and Rs 9 for every subsequent 30 minutes. It also offered the cycles at Rs 49 for daily pass, Rs 249 for monthly pass, and Rs 699 for a three-month pass.
When it was rolled out in February 2019, Chennaiites welcomed the initiative. However, the project faced hurdles following the COVID-19 outbreak, as daily bookings plummeted to fewer than 100, compared to nearly 500 per day before the pandemic. In two years, the firm earned over Rs 21.5 lakh, and the vendor was forced to rely on advertisement hoardings.
In 2021, the then chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launched new 500 smart bikes and next-generation bikes at Marina. However, by 2025, more than 1,000 cycles were either damaged, stolen, or left rusted and defunct across several locations.
Users frequently raised complaints about the payment method and technical glitches. "The Smart Bike app is the only way to pay. During our college days in January 2020, my friends and I tried multiple times to pay using the app and debit cards, but we couldn't complete the payment near Marina Beach. The lack of physical payment options made it difficult for non-smartphone users," recalled L Joushva of Villivakkam.
Civic activist and Mylapore resident Ramesh Ramadoss said, "I have seen several smart bicycles unused and rusted, especially near the RBI subway. Though we live in a digital age, a user manual is essential for new users." Deploying staff to assist the public in booking a cycle would increase patronage and boost non-motorised transportation, he opined.
The Corporation official added that apart from the existing payment options, "UPI and digital payment apps should also be considered as a payment option. In each station, 25 to 30 bikes will be made available," the official said.