Bought at Rs 40,000 each, smart bikes chained to rust in Chennai
In Nungambakkam, the stands are rusted, and a few cycles are parked away from the stand. In Egmore, there were only two cycles in the stand. It was a similar situation in both Nehru Park and St Thomas Metro stations.
Damaged smart bikes in Nungambakkam
CHENNAI: One of the many initiatives taken by the Greater Chennai Corporation to reduce traffic chaos and pollution was the introduction of smart bikes in 2019. Though it was implemented with great fanfare, and adopted with equal enthusiasm by the denizens in the initial days, smart bikes in their respective neighbourhoods are in a sorry state due to official neglect and lack of upkeep.
Most of the cycling stations are left with one or two cycles in the stands that had many cycles before.
In Nungambakkam, the stands are rusted, and a few cycles are parked away from the stand. In Egmore, there were only two cycles in the stand. It was a similar situation in both Nehru Park and St Thomas Metro stations.
Smart bikes are not repaired when they are damaged. Besides, they don't have a shelter, and remain exposed to heat and rain; so regular maintenance is necessary. In many places, cycles are left tied to chains, and these get rusted over time. Stands that have had five or more cycles now have only one or two. The Corporation has totally neglected the maintenance of these cycles, said R Ramesh, a civic activist.
Though the performance of contractors was good initially, it waned. Also, due to vandalism in most places, there have been difficulties with maintenance. For e-bikes, there are issues with the battery. Also, these bikes were imported from different parts of the world. So, it was difficult to get spare parts until now. By the end of this month or the first week of June, these cycles will be brought back to the stations, said a senior GCC official.
People associated with the smart bikes usually take time to get them repaired, as many parts of the bike are brought from different parts of India and outside as well. There are 1,073 cycles in 135 locations in the city. On an average, there are around 60 rentals and 30 new registrations per day. Cycles are charged Rs 6/hour, whereas each vehicle costs around Rs 40,000.
To maintain such a bike costs more, but when people deliberately damage them, it's a challenge for those who maintain and repair these vehicles. Places like beach stations, where the number of users is high, are also places where vandalismis high.
The plans to expand the availability of these bikes are put on hold. Smart bike boards are also given for advertisements for added revenue, the official added. It's not a contract between the GCC and smart bike. These vehicles are provided for free in areas that have high footfall.
