DELHIITES CHOOSE TO TRAVEL SMART WITH THESE BIKES
Docked at 50 stations all over the Capital, these bikes are easy to access and come loaded with features
If you’re walking down a road and see a silver-and-blue streak pass by you, do not mistake it for the X-Men hero, Quicksilver. This isn’t some new speedster, but New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) smart bike, which has been introduced to decongest Delhi, and make commuting cheaper and eco-friendly.
Spread over 50 stations across Delhi, these 500 bikes can be accessed with just a click on the app, SmartBike Mobility. Comfortable to ride, they do not burn a hole in your pocket. But what makes it different from the existing bike services, you ask? These bikes aren’t just smart because they can be accessed via your mobile — they also house a GPS-tracking unit and can be docked at any stand across the city. The process is pretty simple! Just enter the bike number on the app and click on ‘rent a bike’ or scan the QR code on the bike itself. Once you get the code on your app, enter it into the bike computer for it to unlock.
We went around some areas to see if there are any takers for it and were pleased with its popularity. Most of the users are students and professionals looking to make small commutes or just wanting to check out the new service.
“The service is doing pretty well. Since you can dock the bike at any stand, you don’t need to return to where you started from. A lot of students and young office-goers often rent bikes to go around the city,” says Sumit Yadav, who manages the bike dock at KG Marg, Connaught Place.
IT’S SAFE
The bikes come loaded with some great features, too. “It has front and rear LED lights, and the in-built GPS makes it impossible to steal or lose. It has an integrated lock, so docking a bike is as easy as a click. It has three gears for different speeds, and the front area can carry weight up to 5kg,” says Puneet Mishra, who was seen renting a bike.
Priyanka Kumari, a BPO employee, says, “We can track each other and even our parents can track our movement and location. It feels very safe.”
A MONEY SAVER
Akanksha Chahal, a civil services aspirant, says, “The bikes can be rented at just ₹20 per hour, for almost four hours. So, I can get down at the CP metro station and rent a bike, attend my coaching, come back and return it.”
NO PARKING WOES
Parikshit, a Delhi University student, says, “My friends and I rent bikes on weekends and go on a city tour. Na toh parking ki problem, na parking fees ki. It has also becoming fashionable to ride a bicycle.”