Shared bicycle system picking up steam in Kochi

People in the city and suburbs opt for them for exercise and short-distance trips

Even as efforts are under way to extend bicycle docking kiosks to Infopark and other locales in the city suburbs, people hooked to their houses owing to the pandemic situation too are availing them under various rental schemes with a duration of up to three months. That the bicycles are unisex models and come with height-adjustable seats help, since men, women, and even children can use them. That they can be locked manually and opened using smartphones (no key needed), considerably helps. “Their demand is picking up after a lull, to operate last-mile trips from metro stations and also on extended hire for months. People living in the city and even those from the suburbs are opting for them for exercise and also for short-distance trips,” said sources in MyByk, the start-up firm that was roped in earlier this year by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) and Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) to introduce 1,000 shared bicycles in the Greater Kochi area.