Corporation to introduce electric cycles under SmartBike system

“We have started work to set up dockless cycle stations to house bicycles in 50 new locations in the city. Each station will have 10 cycles. All the 500 bicycles will be retrofitted with batteries,” a Chennai Corporation official said.

The battery powered cycles would be able to clock up to 20 km per hour, and will also make riding much easier. The batteries would be charged when the users ride the bicycle by converting the mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Chennai would be the first city to have battery operated cycle sharing system though SmartBike, the Hyderabad-based firm, operates cycle sharing in other cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhopal and Ranchi.

Together with SmartBike, the civic body implemented the cycle sharing system in the city under the Smart City Mission. There are 38 dockless cycle stations that have been put into operation. “Except for a retrofitted battery, there will be no difference in the features and look between new battery cycles and the cycles that are already in use,” he said.

City’s first cycle sharing system was inaugurated in February with more than 20 dockless cycle stations, and the number was gradually increased to 38 by setting up stations in Thyagaraya Road, where the pedestrian plaza is coming up, and Metro Rail and MRTS stations on IT Corridor in Taramani.

In all, the civic body has already identified as many as 378 locations to set up dockless cycle stations with a fleet of 4,976 bicycles.

As of now, the civic body collects Rs 5 per hour through a mobile application and Rs 9 would be charged for every additional 30 minutes. Users can also hire bicycles for a day and on monthly and quarterly.