BENGALURU: Providing last mile connectivity to and from the nearest metro station or bus depot is one area where the local transport authority has still much to do.Feeder services started by the Benagluru Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC) in the past, did not gain much traction due to various reasons, such a low ridership. With the green and the purple metro lines being connected recently and being fully operational, more commuters are opting for metro services now. As a result, the need for last mile services, whether private or public, is in great demand.
Bykerr is a startup co-founded by Hrianmay Mallick, a former manager at an IT services company, which offers on-demand bike as well as auto services to and from metro stations and bus depots through a mobile app.Although the company has been in existence for one year now, it started services only a month ago. “Our main aim is not to provide point-to-point transportation services like an Uber or Ola. It is mainly to encourage people to opt for public transport,” says Hrianmay.
As of now, the services of Bykerr are operational only along three metro stations — Indiranagar, Swami Vivekananda and Byappanahalli — but more stations will be added to their services in the next one year. “We want to expand to 20 other metro stations in the next one year and 40 stations in 20 months,” says Hrianmay. In the past one month since they started, as many as 40 trips have been booked daily, he adds.
The startup’s motto is ‘Information based last mile connectivity’ and Hrianmay explains the idea behind this motto. “If a commuter wants to take the metro, he or she can get information in real time about metro timings from the app itself, and can book an auto or bike accordingly. Same is with booking a buses. However, details about bus timings will be integrated in the next few months,” he adds.
Before launching their startup, the co-founders did a preliminary feasibility study based on their own commuting experiences and those of others. “People need last mile connectivity for distances as less as 300 to 500 meters, and such distances cannot be covered with a bus or an Uber. Autos are there but they would charrge you more than the actual rates,” he says.
Bykerr has a fixed rate of `35 for 0 to 5km, `65 for 5 to 10km for bikes. For autos, the rates are `29 for 0 to 2km and `59 for 2 to 5km. Extra amount is charged according to the distance thereafter. The self financed startup has 30 partners with which it has tied up to offer the services at three metro stations.