CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation’s cycle-sharing system has managed to maintain a steady stream of users although the initial enthusiasm has been slightly marred by the summer heat.
The system has 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. Although the numbers are quite satisfactory, the number of users during the day have dwindled owing to the heat, said Corporation officials.
“During early mornings and evenings, there are still many users for the cycle-sharing system,” said a Corporation official.
On average, the system has around 200 rentals every day. The system has clocked a total number of 8,646 registrations from February 27 to May 5 and a total of 24,127 rentals during the same period.
The Smart City’s cycle-sharing system, which was inaugurated by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on February 28, 2019, is functional in Anna Nagar, Shenoy Nagar and Marina beach areas. The project is expected to be scaled up to 25 more locations.
Aimed at reducing the last mile connectivity, the cycles were rented out for `1 during the first month after which users are charged Rs 5 for the first hour and `9 for every additional half hour. The cycle-sharing system has been implemented as part of the city Corporation’s Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) policy and is backed by a dedicated mobile application. Facilities for cashless transactions have also been made available to encourage more residents to take up cycling.