Coming Soon to Delhi Cycles for Hire at your Doorstep

With the lifting of lockdowns everywhere, people have started commuting to work again. For those who use public transport, the question has been how to move around without contracting or spreading the coronavirus. Many are turning to bicycles because it's a great contact-less transport option, perfect for one-person trips, and you can avoid close proximity to others. It also gives you some much-needed exercise. Add to that the burning issue of fuel prices in flux, and you have a winner. 

No wonder then that across the world, there has been a boom in bicycle use.

In Delhi, app-based bicycle companies are planning to expand their services to residential areas. Two such companies &mdash Yulu, which provides battery-operated two-wheelers at Delhi Metro stations in collaboration with DMRC, and SmartBike, which is operating in Lutyen&rsquos Delhi in collaboration with the New Delhi Municipal Council &mdash are planning to set up bike stations in over 130 residential areas this year. 

Solo ridership, safety and sanitisation will be priority.  For now, Yulu is using tech-enabled sanitisation processes where the vehicles are sanitised several times a day through a WHO-recommended sanitiser, and the last sanitised timestamp is shown to users on the app.  

With cycles at 35 Metro stations in Delhi remaining unused as the Delhi Metro remains closed, the company has decided to divert these to residential areas where they see an increase in demand.

Currently Yulu operates in 25 residential areas including at Vasant Kunj, Lajpat Nagar blocks G and F, Pushp Vihar and Saket H block. Because of the rise in demand, the company is planning to create an additional 100 zones in the next three months in areas across South Delhi such as Hauz Khas Market, Aurobindo Place Market, CR Park Market, Pushp Vihar, Sarvodaya Enclave and Lajpat Nagar 1.

Likewise, SmartBike too is planning 30 new stations in residential clusters, in collaboration with NDMC in Lutyen&rsquos Delhi, by November this year.

Read A Chauffeured Van For Your Next Road Trip