Mubashir Aalam Wani
Srinagar, Oct 3: Ever since the government started bicycle service in the city, 25-year-old Adil Ahmad Khan has made it his routine to use the service for commuting.
Nor was he only able to save his money, but his body also witnessed changes as he lost the extra fat.
“I have been fond of bicycles since my childhood. After the government introduced this service, I daily hired a bike and took the shortest route to my office,” he said.
Like Khan, majority of the Srinagarites have embraced the green and fit transport by availing the bicycle service introduced by the government earlier in May.
Since May, more than 39000 people have registered themselves for the service to commute within the city.
Mohammad Yasir Shah, a Srinagar-based official of Chartered Bikes, said that as many as 39980 customers registered themselves with the app.
“We are witnessing a great response for the service. So far 39980 Srinagarites have sought registration for the service via our app,” he said.
He said more than 1000 people commute daily within the city using bicycles.
Shah said 20 more stations are coming up within the city, which he said will further popularise the service.
“We have identified 20 spots wherein stations will be established so that more and more people use our bicycles. Right now we have established 80 stations across the city wherein a person can book a ride to another destination,” he said.
On May 4, the Jammu and Kashmir administration as a part of the Smart City Mission introduced Chartered Bikes- bicycles, in Srinagar as a mode of transport to reduce pollution and overcome traffic snarls.
Since then the majority of the people have been taking support of these bicycle services to commute from one place to another.
For the project, the city government collaborated with a Bhopal based start-up. In November of last year, a test run for this facility was conducted.
A user must register and activate his lifetime subscription by depositing Rs 300 in order to utilize the service.
According to the officials, the ride will be free for the first thirty minutes and thereafter cost Rs.5 will be charged for up to an hour. There would be a price of Rs 25 for a 2- to 3-hour journey. For 3, 4, and 6-hour rides, people will pay Rs 50, Rs 100, and Rs 200, respectively. Users would be charged Rs 350 for rides longer than 8 hours.
