CHENNAI: Southern Railway Chennai division’s roll out of the first electric bike rental service at Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Chennai Central Railway Station on September 17 has drawn curiosity among passengers. The commuters are seen dropping in at the outlet every few minutes for enquiry.
Launched under a non-fare revenue contract, the service, aimed to boost last-mile connectivity for passengers, is operated by private firm Suji Enterprises. “If the service is successful, we may introduce it at other major stations,” a railway official said.
The service currently has 20 e-bikes, with packages priced at Rs 299 for three hours (30 km), Rs 499 for six hours (60 km), Rs 699 for 12 hours (90 km) and Rs 999 for 24 hours (120 km) has drawn users not only from commuters from other places to Chennai, but also in and around the capital city who reach the railway station and travel to nearby places on business.
R Subburaj, owner of Suji Enterprises, said the users must submit Aadhaar as ID proof. Once the time or distance limit is reached, whichever comes first, users are asked to return the bike or extend the package. Bikes can also be remotely switched off if users fail to respond.
Users, however, have raised concerns over the pricing, bike models and booking process. Ali A said the bikes are basic and lacked power at times, while K Gunasekar suggested an hourly rental option at `100 an hour.
V Rajesh said the booking process is lengthy and the Rs 3,000 advance amount is too high. He suggested reducing it to Rs 1,000.
Another passenger, S Ashok, said the service could benefit merchants travelling from Ambattur and Tiruvallur to Parrys wholesale market via the suburban rail network. After getting down at Moore Market Complex station, they often take an auto to Parrys to buy groceries, ornaments and flowers. “They complain that autos drop them near the market as they cannot enter the narrow inner lanes. The bikes could be useful for them,” he said.
Responding to the feedback, Subburaj said the Rs 3,000 advance is collected to cover minor expenses such as broken mirrors. “Insurance will cover major damages, but for minor issues like these, we cannot claim insurance,” he said.
A Southern Railway official said the packages were fixed keeping Chennai as a city in mind. “In other districts, the traffic may be less, so people can return within an hour. Here, even for nearby destinations, it may take more than an hour. If you look at the packages, rate comes down as duration increases. We are also looking at it on a trial -and-error basis,” the official said, adding that if the service is successful, they may introduce it at other major stations of Southern Railway.