City cycle-sharing campaign on fast-track to go national

The Union urban development ministry has involved a city-based cycling group in a national campaign to plan and design cycling tracks in metro cities. Three students from the social entrepreneurship batch at NMIMS, Vile Parle, had started the project almost two years ago for students of Kelkar College in Mulund.

The idea was born out of the everyday frustration of dealing with autorickshaw drivers refusing to ply short distances. Thirty çycles were installed at Mulund railway station and students were encouraged to make use of it.

The bikes were rented out against the students’ college ID cards and the Cycle Chalao campaign was an instant hit. The group then fine-tuned the project and a subsequent Facebook poll generated the three most in-demand locations for starting similar cycle rental services: Andheri, Dadar and Bandra.

The student entrepreneurs are now working with the ministry of urban development and Pune City Municipal Corporation in designing and implementing mass-based high impact cycle sharing systems in India.

‘’It is at a very initial stage and the plans are yet to be finalised. We are working on  sharing bicycle share systems wherever they are needed. We are also preparing for the urban mobilities conference that is scheduled to be held in December,” Raj Janagam of Cycle Chalao told DNA.

The ministry of urban development has a very aggressive plan for promoting public cycle-sharing in Indian cities. The government initiative will be crucial in deciding the future of cycling in the country.