SRINAGAR: Srinagar will soon have about 100 cycling points, where people can take bicycles on rent, in a bid to ease traffic congestion in the city. The initiative is part of the smart city project to promote eco-friendly transport in the city. The initiative would also give cyclists a feel of the heritage and culture of Srinagar.
City authorities have collaborated with Bhopal-based startup Chartered Bike for the project. A trial run
for this facility was held near Ram Munshi Bagh on Tuesday. “We received a good response from people, who raised queries about where these cycling points would be set up and how they can park cycles at different points,” Mohammad Yasir Shah, an official from Chartered Bike, told this newspaper.
According to Shah, the docking stations would be set up across Srinagar in the coming few weeks, and 6-8 cycles would be available on rent at every location. The bicycles would be fitted with a GPS-tracking system, and the entire booking process, from payment to registration, would be done online.
The ride would be free for the first half an hour, after which `5 will be charged for up to one hour. Rs 10 will be charged till two hours, and the fare will increase in slabs till Rs 350 for over eight hours. “We will not be accepting cash. Everything will be done online,” Shah said, adding that over 100 people registered on the website on the first day of the trial run.
The administration would also be setting up tracks for cyclists and pedestrians on the famous Boulevard Road, and on Hazratbal-Nishat Road in Srinagar. Earlier, a similar facility was launched by a local youth, Mohammad Ubaid Nazir, in the city. It is called Cieclo.