The city denizens will soon be able to commute by electric-scooter sharing services in Chandigarh. For, the UT Administration has given a go ahead to the public-shared two-wheeler service.
The e-scooter sharing service will begin as a pilot project to measure its success in the city. The UT Administration has already finalized three companies, one of which is already running the public e-scooter sharing service in Pune.
A mobile app will be launched to give access of the scooters to the commuters.
Under the project, all the e-scooters will be provided by the three selected companies. They will also be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the e-scooters.
Although charges are yet to be finalized, the companies is likely to charge the commuters Rs 20 as the base amount, and thereafter, charges will be made on per kilometer basis. The scooter will be equipped with GPS devices to spot the location of the vehicle in case it is dumped at a place other than the specified parking location.
Manoj Parida, Adviser to UT Administrator said, “Three companies have proposed to start battery run scooters on a public sharing basis in the city. This service will begin as a pilot project.”
“The Administration will also provide space for the parking of the e-scooter in different locations of the city. And, the final decision on these locations will be decided after the companies conclude a study to identify the suitable parking locations,” he added.
Among others, Punjab University, railway station, ISBT-43 and ISBT-17 are some of the locations being considered for the start of the e-scooter services.
Notably, a public bike sharing scheme is also proposed to be implemented in Chandigarh for the entire city boundary. 617 bicycle
docking stations have been identified covering the entire city on the basis of primary surveys. A mobile app will also be development for this service.
This project is proposed to be developed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer Basis (DBFOT).
Both the projects of e-scooter sharing service and a public bike sharing scheme are aimed at encouraging last mile connectivity, promoting low carbon mobility along with efficient and effective public transit system. Another objective is to promote non-motorized transport in the city.
Apart from this, the UT Administration is also chalking out a carpooling policy after studying the laws on car sharing in Singapore and other countries. Singapore laws allow drivers to receive payments for carpools but the drivers cannot offer more than two rides per day.