Trial run of public bicycle sharing system starts in U.T.

Project has been plagued by delays

The trial run of the Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system as part of the Smart City project got off to a silent start here on Monday. The month-long trial run, which began on March 21, involves the use of 10 bicycles from a docking station in the city. 

Though the Puducherry Smart City Corporation Development Limited (PSCDL) issued the Letter of Award to a private firm for implementing the project in 2019, there was an inordinate delay by the System Integrator in commencing operations. 

Official sources said the System Integrator was issued a termination notice by PSCDL for the delay last month, following which the project got back on track. Work on establishing necessary infrastructure for the docking stations is on, and regular operations will begin soon, an official said. 

“The System Integrator has begun the trial run to identify any issues that might surface during the implementation of the project. The trial would also monitor the duration and distance of the rides, geographic concentration of the usage [of bicycles] and other factors before launching the rides. As many as 19 docking stations have been planned in the first phase and 17 in the second phase of the project,” a senior official told  The Hindu.

The System Integrator has already set up one docking station at Bharathi Park in the Boulevard. The number of stations will increase as the trial run progresses. Each station is expected to start operations with 10 bicycles, depending on the anticipated demand. The system involves tourists or residents borrowing bicycles on a rental basis from the docking stations and returning them after a ride. 

The project is expected to be initially implemented in 10 locations in the city, including Beach Promenade, Bussy Street, Anna Salai, Subbiah Salai and Grand Canal. The project envisages an exclusive bicycle track on 10.3 km in the Area Based Development component of the Smart Cities Mission.