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