CHENNAI: After the launch of its bicycle sharing system at Thiruvanmiyur and Kasturibai Nagar in August, the city Corporation is eyeing Koyambedu and surrounding areas.
According to Corporation officials, the civic body is in the process of identifying new locations for docking stations in the Koyambedu-Vadapalani stretch, thereby adding to its existing fleet of over 350 bicycles in 37 docking stations across the city. A daily average of 250 riders use the smart bikes, according to Corporation officials.
Users will have to download the ‘SmartBike Mobility’ app and enter the bike number or scan the QR code for renting a bike.
However, there are a few issues that cyclists want the civic body to address. “The first time I used the bike, everything went well. After that, I began facing issues. After I booked the bike, it failed to unlock. I wasn’t able to return it either because you have to lock it again while returning. However, it didn’t unlock in the first place,” said Goutham K, an IT professional. In cases like these, contacting customer support is rarely of use. “Either the call doesn’t go through, disconnects automatically and if you leave them messages, nobody responds,” said Prabhu K.