250 bicycles from Germany offer Chennaiites last-mile connectivity

A representative from SmartBike told DT Next that the bicycles were brought from Germany to Chennai Port and sent to Hyderabad for assembling. “All the assembling works are completed except for the GPS-enabled locking system. Customs have cleared the consignment of locks on Tuesday, which were sent to Hyderabad for fitting,” the person said.

According to a top official of Chennai Smart City Limited, the service provider won the bid to provide Chennai’s first cycle sharing system at a cost of Rs 10 crore. “We have proposed the cycle sharing system at as many as 378 locations in the city. But first, we will implement the project on a pilot basis in Anna Nagar, Marina and Besant Nagar after the monsoon,” a Chennai Corporation official said.

The cost of a German-made cycle is Rs 1 lakh, the SmartBike representative said. The bicycles are unisex and will have adjustable seat. The bicycles will have 3-speed Shimano Nexus hub gear, puncture-proof tyres, internal cabling and height adjustable seats.

It is learnt that the first batch of 250 cycles would be provided between Tirumangalam Metro station and Shenoy Nagar. “Between the two spots, there will be 22 bike stations. After Anna Nagar, bicycle stations will be established in Marina between MGR memorial and Light House,” the official said. The SmartBike would provide 4,976 bicycles and operate the cycle-sharing on design, built, finance and operate (DBFO) basis for seven years. The Chennai Corporation has fixed Rs 5 per hour as rent, and additional of Rs 9 for every next 30 minutes.