BENGALURU: The proposal by the Bengaluru Postal department to use the eco-friendly Yulu e-bikes to deliver letters and parcels across the City has been dropped. The step, launched at the JP Nagar sub-post office on a pilot basis, on October 14 last year was to be extended across Bengaluru if it proved to be financially viable.
A senior postal official said, "We have worked out the costs in detail. The amount involved in using the Yulu vehicle a month for a delivery person worked out to around Rs 5500 as compared to around Rs 1500 incurred as fuel costs on a regular two-wheeler. "It is financially not viable for us. So we are looking at some other form of electric vehicle to carry out our deliveries."
Unlike in the case of other Yulu users who may need it for a couple of hours to travel point to point, our delivery staff may need it for 6 to 8 hours per day. "This along with charges incurred on battery recharge makes it an expensive proposition for us," he added.
Postal delivery men and women are given Rs 1,500 as a monthly conveyance allowance while Grameen Dak Sevaks are given Rs 1063 for the same job.
When launched six months ago with 15 postal delivery staff, the Bengaluru Postal Region was provided the vehicles and became the first in the country to use e-friendly vehicles for deliveries.
Asked about it, a spokesperson for Yulu said, "It is upto the Postal department to work out its financial structure. We are still very keen on partnering with them in this venture."
Caption: Archive pic when Yulu bikes were trialled at JP Nagar sub-post office during Postal Week celebrations last year.