Soon, rent smart bikes from 15 new locations in Chennai

With this, the civic body will be adding 150 smart bikes to its existing fleet of 250 cycles
File picture of a smart bike station in the city, launched on public private partnership mode | Express
File picture of a smart bike station in the city, launched on public private partnership mode | Express

CHENNAI: The Corporation’s bicycle sharing system is being expanded to 15 new locations in the city, including GN Chetty Road and MRTS stations in Thiruvanmiyur, Indira Nagar and Kasturibai Nagar. The move will be completed in two weeks. With this, the civic body will be adding 150 smart bikes to its existing fleet of 250. The Kilpauk, Egmore, Nehru Park, AG-DMS and Teynampet Metro stations will also get the cycle sharing system, to help improve the last-mile connectivity, said Corporation officials. 

“Approval for 10 other locations is pending and when it comes through, another 100 bicycles would be added,” said a Corporation official.

The smart city’s cycle sharing system, inaugurated by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on February 28, is now functional in Anna Nagar, Shenoy Nagar and the Marina Beach areas. At present, the Corporation operates a fleet of 250 bicycles. 

Electric cycles to be added

In what officials say would be the first cycle-sharing system in the country to include electric cycles in its fleet, the city may get 250 electric cycles in addition to the regular cycles by the end of August, said sources. Another 250 may be added by the end of September. 

While the electric cycles still require riders to pedal, they have electric motors of varying capacity that can help in propulsion. Electric cycle may be able to function at the speed of 25 to 32 kilometres per hour. 
The sharing system had recorded 12,728 rentals from April 1 to May 5, according to data available with the city Corporation. The civic body has also received 3,361 registrations from residents during this period. 

New locations to be added

  • Indira Nagar MRTS (near exit gate)
  • Kasturibai Nagar MRTS (near Madhya Kailash signal)
  • Thiruvanmiyur MRTS (on footpath below flyover bridge)
  • CSIR Road
  • Ramakrishna Mission School (opposite Pondy Bazaar police station)
  • Pedestrian Plaza 
  • (In front of Big Bazaar and Globus)
  • Teynampet Metro station (opp A3 entrance)
  • AG-DMS Metro (In front of A1 entrance)
  • GN Chetty Road 
  • (In front of Jeeva Park and opposite Bharathiraja Hospital)
  • Egmore Metro station 
  • (back entrance)
  • Kilpauk Metro station (In front of A2 entrance)
  • Nehru Park Metro
  • GCC Ripon Building parking area

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