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Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka, with a populace of more than ten million is upgrading at a lightning speed. Being India's third most crowded city, it is the centre of education, business, medicinal services and many more. Now, adding to the list of new things that are being introduced for the convenience of city dwellers, the government is going to launch a public bicycle sharing system from March 4th. Initiated by the Directorate of urban land transport (DULT), it was a part of the 2017-18 budget plan but kept getting postponed due to various reasons. But finally, the eco-friendly way of commuting is going to be rolled out soon.
The PBS system will cover regions like Cubbon Park, M G Road, Trinity, Ulsoor, Indira Nagar in the main stage as per a TOI report. The state government is planning to start with 5000 bikes and 345 parking slots for the beginning. A similar system, called Trin Trin, is already in place in Mysore.
Four companies, namely Zoomcar PEDL, Yulu Bikes, Bounce and Lezonet have been shortlisted that will be issued the license to operate the bicycles in the city. All the four companies have their own apps which people can use to avail the service. To start your ride, all you have to do is scan the QR code and once you're done using the bicycle, you're required to drop it at any of the 345 parking spots available in the city. The payment will be made through digital methods and the normal charge would is as low as INR5 for 30 minutes.
According to the Directorate of Urban Land Transport, every year, over 1.5 lakh people move into the city. Going by this number, according to the Draft Master Plan 2031 for Bengaluru, the city's population will be twice as much and the vehicular trips will get tripled by the year 2031. This also calls for an extensive plan to improve the city's transportation system. PBS was the Karnataka government's plan to introduce a public bicycle system in the areas where it's feasible to implement.
Speaking to TOI, Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary of the urban devel said, "The government is taking steps to develop wider pavement and cycle tracks on the lines of TenderSure roads, so people can opt for non-motorised modes for short trips and last mile connectivity."
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