HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL) is going to hire a second agency for provision, operation and management of the bicycle-sharing system on a rental basis on the 23-km cycle track from Nanakramguda to TGPA and Narsingi to Kollur.
An official statement, issued on Friday, said that the HGCL has laid a cycle track along the service road of Outer Ring Road (ORR) between Main Carriage Way (MCW) and City Side Service Road with a width of 4.5 metres from Nanakramguda to TGPA (8.50 km) and width of the cycle track is 4.5 metres with three cycle lanes with one metre with green space on either side.
Of the 23 km, about 21 km is covered with solar roofs with an installed capacity of 16 MW.
HGCL officials said there is a provision for selecting a second agency for the operation and management of the service at the proposed locations — Nanakramguda, TGPA Junction, Narsingi and Kollur — for 100 bicycles and 25 at each location.
The proposals are invited from interested agencies for operating and managing the service from Nanakramguda to TGPA and Narsingi to Kollur along with small supporting infrastructure at embarking points such as ticket windows, waiting area informative sign boards etc and under the licence of three years.
Since Smartbike Mobility Private Limited (SMPL) has already been awarded the work of the project as the first agency, it is not eligible to participate in the tender for awarding of work to the second agency, the officials added.
Whichever agency gets selected would be allowed to keep a minimum of 100 bicycles at four locations combined for various age groups. The licensee should keep a sufficient number of bicycles for various age groups to cater to demands in a manner that there is no queuing even during peak hours.
The statement further said that the agency can add more bicycles if the demand increases only after getting approval from the authority.
If demand increases, the agency will be at liberty to provide an additional number of bicycles up to 300, (75 at each location) and it is mandatory to operate all the bicycles at all the locations.
The minimum license fee is Rs 4,500 per annum per bicycle for all age groups at four strategic locations on ORR
They said that the rental bike charges to be charged from the public on weekdays would be as follows: For Pedal Bikes, it would be Rs 50 per hour, tandem bikes (Rs 100 per hour) and electric bikes (Rs 80 per hour).
On weekends and public holidays, charges would be a pedal bike (Rs 50 for 30 minutes), tandem bike (Rs 100 for 30 minutes) and electric bike (Rs 80 for 30 minutes).
For regular users, for fully automated dockless bike share services, the security deposit (refundable) would be Rs 500, hourly Rs 300 (quarterly membership fee) + Rs 25 per hour. Daily unlimited (Rs 99), weekly unlimited (Rs 349), monthly unlimited (Rs 699).
The licensee shall keep the option for online payment/cash payment for the visitor fees/rates for convenience. The licensee has to arrange for all the equipment for first aid, passenger and rider safety.