GPS-enabled 1,000 cycles with Pedal Assist feature; 100 dockless hubs across Mysuru city

Mysuru: The Mysuru city’s popular Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system ‘Trin Trin’ will be in its new avatar in 2023 with a GPS-enabled 1,000 cycles and a different operating company. The new cycles will arrive by Jan. 26,  the Republic Day.

These new cycles will have a modern feature of ‘Pedal Assist’ and will be operated by a battery. It will facilitate cyclists to climb steep roads with ease.

‘Trin Trin’ was inaugurated on June 4, 2017 and the scheme paved the way for an environment-friendly transportation system. The system was established by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) in association with the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT).

Over the years, the scheme grew in popularity and got wide acceptance, especially from the student community and youths. At present, there are 52 docking stations across the city where cyclists can park their vehicles after usage. Over 100 dockless hubs will now come up across the city to facilitate the new system.

17,414 subscribers

There are 17,414 subscribers to the scheme now and with the new additions and technology, there will be more takers for the scheme, MCC Commissioner G. Lakshmikantha Reddy told Star of Mysore.

Initially, the contract to operate the PBS was given to Mysuru-based ‘Green Wheel Ride’ and the company operated with 450 cycles including 30 geared ones. Green Wheel Ride’s contract has ended and the MCC has found a new operator from Gujarat — ‘Greenpedia Bike Share Private Limited.’

‘Greenpedia’ will introduce 1,000 GPS-enabled geared cycles to make cycling more comfortable and convenient while the old cycles will be taken back by ‘Green Wheel Ride.’

A new feature ‘Greenpedia’ is bringing to Mysuru is that all the cycles are GPS-enabled and existing and new subscribers can take the cycles after paying the stipulated rent.

Park at hundread dockless hubs

“Users can park the cycles after use at any of the 100 dockless hubs. Even if the cycles are not at the dockless hubs, they can be easily tracked with GPS. Greenpedia will maintain the Trin Trin system for five years and the tender has been awarded for Rs. 4 crore. The work order was issued three months back and the company is making preparations to launch its presence in Mysuru. We are expecting 1,000 cycles by Jan. 26,” Lakshmikantha Reddy said.

8.5-km synthetic cycle lanes

On the cycling tracks, MCC Commissioner Lakshmikantha Reddy said that 8.5-km exclusive synthetic cycle lanes will come up in Mysuru city soon as the tenders have been awarded.

Though the project of dedicated cycle lanes was mooted in 2012 when it was decided that three to five feet of roads would be dedicated exclusively for cyclists and the lane would be painted yellow, the city’s first and only cycling track was set up on one side of the Lalitha Mahal Road. After this lane, no other lane was set up though there were proposals.

Tracks on these roads

Works will begin soon on laying 1,268 metres of synthetic track on JLB Road from M.N. Jois Junction to Ashoka Circle, 746 metres on Sita Vilas Road from M.N. Jois Junction to Kukkarahalli Lake Gate, 1,366 metres from Kukkarahalli Lake Gate to the main gate of University of Mysore, 1,124 metres track on Vishwamanava Double Road from University campus to Nijalingappa Circle and 2,159 metres on the same road from Nijalingappa Circle to Ring Road. 

On the Krishnaraja Boulevard, 1,080 metres track will be laid from Kautilya Circle to Kannegowda Circle, 388 meters lane on Chamaraja Double Road from Ekalavya Circle till Ramaswamy Circle, 591 metres lane on New Kantharaja Urs Road from  Kannegowda Circle till Ashoka Circle.

The lane will be laid on one side of the road and a 1.5-metre space will be earmarked as the dedicated cycle lane.  The Engineering Division of the MCC will take a call on how the lane should be demarcated — to use bright paint or to barricade or put fibre or rubber railings.

By M.B. Pavan Murthy