Brunch. Dinner and a movie. Barbeque. Netflix and chill.
These are some, rather most, of the ways in which you spend your winter weekends. With only a few sunny winter days left, do you really want to spend your days doing cliche things like that?
If you are looking for something different to do, look no further. We have the perfect winter afternoon activity for you. Pick up a smart bike from one of the NDMC kiosks and cycle your way around Lutyens’ Delhi!
If you are a millennial, you may have spent may vacation days cycling around your neighbourhood. Unfortunately, not many of us stuck with it. So if (and when) you actually go and pick up a smart bike, you may well be zapped into the happy memories of your childhood. The best part … you can do this activity solo.
You can pick up a smart bike at one of the 25 metro stations in the NDMC area. So I headed on to Patel Chowk metro station. As soon as I exited the station, I spotted the stand-out silver and blue bicycles docked beautifully in a row.
I had already downloaded the SmartBike Mobility app from Google Playstore. Now, all I needed to do was enter one bike’s number in the app. I scanned the QR code on the cycle, received an OTP which I entered on the touchpad on the back of the bike. And my ride for the day was ready.
The smart bikes are a little different from our regular bicycles. And they are also a little technologically advanced. So you may take a few minutes to get used to the gear system. The cycle seats are quite comfortable though. When I finally managed to wade my way through the persistent traffic, the ride became much more fun. At my own pace, I was able to explore and see so many places. I also stopped here and there to click a few pictures. For me, it turned into a photowalk of Lutyens’ Delhi, but on a bicycle! The smart bikes also have automatic front and rear LED lights so that you can ride in the dark as well.
So, how do you get charged? These bikes have a GPS system. As soon as you pick up a bike, the system records the time and you are charged automatically on the payment mode you’ve linked in the app. And the rates are throwaway. For a 30-minute ride, you need to pay as less as Rs 15. And if you become a member and buy a pass, then the first half an hour of every ride is free for you. They also have weekly, monthly, and yearly subscription plans. Not too much to pay for convenience and the environment’s health (and your own too). Right?
However, I did feel the absence of any bicycle lanes. I had to be constantly alert so that my first smart bike ride didn’t become my last. The NDMC has plans to develop dedicated cycling tracks. That would definitely encourage more people to opt for this mode of transport. Plans for organising a cycling carnival every month are also on the cards.
The good part is that you can drop off the bike at any of the docks and do not need to go back all the way to your starting point. Convenience much? The eventual plan is to make this public bike sharing system unmanned. But for now, there is a person at the docking station to assist you. There is also an emergency helpline. So in case of trouble with the cycle, you can seek help from the service officials.
For people like Nishant Singh, a journalist, riding a cycle rekindles some childhood memories and is also an environment-friendly way of commuting. “Cycling reminds me of my school days. It was the first vehicle I ever learnt how to ride as a kid!” he says.
