Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launched 500 electric bicycles and 500 next generation bicycles under the cycle sharing system in the city and also inaugurated ‘Namma Chennai’ selfie point at Marina Beach last week. As per a Greater Chennai Corporation official, all the 1,000 newly launched bicycles would be deployed at the dockless cycle stations within a week. “Measures have been taken to add 22 new dockless cycle stations across the city, which would take the total number of stations to 100,” he said.

Each station will accommodate ten bicycles - four eco-bikes (bicycles that are already in use), three electric bicycles and three next generation bicycles. The civic body had already deployed 500 eco-bikes, he added. Previously, on January 21, Greater Chennai corporation had launched 32 electric cycles and 32 next gen cycles on trial basis. “The trail run gave satisfactory results. We have requested the civic body to provide permission to increase the number of cycle stations to 150 by adding 50 new stations. Though we have deployed 1,500 cycles, we could park only 1,000 of them at the 100 stations,” said a representative of SmartBike, the Hyderabad-based firm that operates cycle sharing in the city. 

For the ordinary cycles, the Corporation charges Rs 5.50 for the first 60 minutes and Rs 9.90 for the next 30 minutes and will be the same for next generation bicycles. Whereas the fares for the electric bicycles are Rs 10 for the first 10 minutes and Re 1 for every additional 10 minutes. Meanwhile, under Smart City Mission, the civic body has set up a selfie point at the beach at a whooping cost of Rs 24 lakh. The structure has been created along with St+Art India Foundation that painted murals on the Kannagi Nagar tenements. 

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